Sunil Narine and Rinku Singh (Agency photo)
Kolkata Knight Riders registered a nerve-wracking win over Lucknow Super Giants after the two teams finished tied at 155 in normal time in Lucknow on Sunday.The contest swung wildly across the 40 overs, but Sunil Narine once again proved to be KKR’s reliable match-winner at the most crucial moment. Narine delivered a superlative delivery, delivering a near-perfect delivery under immense pressure, removing Nicholas Pooran off the first ball as he miscued a powerful sweep against a break that hit the stumps.
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The pressure intensified from there. Rishabh Pant managed to shake off the blow, but Narine struck again soon after, dismissing Aiden Markram. Markram tried to cross the field but completely mistimed it, and a brilliant relay attempt near the boundary saw Rovman Powell throw the ball back into the air before going over the rope, allowing Rinku Singh to complete a sharp catch.LSG were left stunned at 1 for 2 in the Super Over, the lowest score ever recorded in the history of the IPL Super Over.With just two runs needed, Rinku Singh came out and immediately ended the game, delivering Prince Yadav’s first over to the boundary. It was a fitting end to an all-round performance from Renko, who had earlier scored an unbeaten 83 off 51 balls and also took four fours on the field.KKR’s innings earlier was saved by Rinku next
Mohsin Khan
He produced a sensational spell of 5 for 23. The left-arm pacer tore through the top order dismissing Ajinkya Rahane, Tim Seifert, Cameron Green, Rovman Paul and Anukul Roy.
His variations on a slow black pitch left KKR struggling at multiple stages.Despite the collapse, Renko’s late knock, including a brutal final over, lifted KKR to a fighting 155 for 7. His innings featured clean hitting against pace and spin, which helped them recover from a perilous position.LSG’s chase also had moments of control. Rishabh Pant (42) and Aiden Markram (31) rebuilt after the early loss of Mitchell Marsh, adding 57 for the second wicket.
However, both fell at crucial junctures, with Pant mistaking a reverse scoop from Narine while Markram was undone by a Cameron Green delivery.From there, LSG’s innings lost direction, although late resistance from local speculators kept them alive for a brief period. The final over saw chaos, with Kartik Tyagi conceding 16 runs and bowling two overs, including a waist-high delivery that was deemed non-threatening, allowing him to continue.
Muhammad Al-Shami
Then he hit the last six ball to force a Super Over.The match also saw controversy when Angkrish Raghuvanshi was controversially sent off for obstructing the field after a review, with the third official ruling that he had changed his running line while diving to bend it.In the end, KKR held their nerve in the Super Over through Narine’s brilliance and Rinku’s finishing touch, moving up to eighth in the standings while LSG dropped to the bottom after another narrow defeat in a season full of missed opportunities.
