IPL 2026: Rinku Singh finally comes good as KKR register first win of the season against RR

A crucial 76-run partnership between Anukul Roy and half-centurion Rinku Singh powered Kolkata Knight Riders to their first victory of the season, as they defeated Rajasthan Royals by four wickets at Eden Gardens on Sunday (Apr 19). Following this result, KKR moved to ninth place on the table with one win, five losses and one no result, totaling three points. Meanwhile, RR sit in fourth position.

Chasing 156, KKR had a slow start, as Jofra Archer struck immediately, dismissing Tim Seifert for a golden duck on the very first ball. Soon after, a sharp catch behind the stumps by Dhruv Jurel sent skipper Ajinkya Rahane back for a two-ball duck, handing Nandre Burger his first wicket. KKR were reeling at 5/2 in just 1.2 overs.

Cameron Green tried to steady the innings, countering the early pressure with a couple of boundaries against Archer and Burger in his first few deliveries. However, just as he looked set, a brilliant piece of work by Jurel behind the stumps led to his dismissal for a quickfire 27 off 13 balls, which included four fours and a six. At that stage, KKR were struggling at 37/3 in 4.3 overs.

Spinners continued KKR's downfall as Angkrish Raghuvanshi (10), Rovman Powell 23 in 20 balls, with two fours and a six), and Ramandeep Singh (10) all fell to spin, with Ravindra Jadeja getting two of these. KKR was 85/6 in 12.3 overs.

KKR was 97/6 in 15 overs, needing 59 runs. And then Rinku Singh started to break the shackles with Anukul Roy, collecting a six each against Bishnoi, reaching the 100-run mark in 15.1 overs. A couple of boundaries against Archer by Rinku in the 17th over relieved the pressure.

A fifty-run stand came between Rinku and Anukul, and KKR needed 21 runs in the final two overs. In Archer's penultimate over, Anukul smashed him for a six right off the meat of the bat, leaving KKR with nine needed in the final over.

Rinku levelled the scores with two successive fours against Brijesh Sharma and finally sealed the match with a six, bringing up his first fifty since the 2023 season.

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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowlers Varun Chakravarthy and Kartik starred with three-wicket hauls apiece to restrict Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a modest 155/9 in their 20 overs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Sunday in Kolkata.

After winning the toss, RR opted to bat. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opened the innings for the Royals. Vaibhav Arora started with a very tight first over, conceding just 6 runs in the opening over.

Sooryavanshi got his innings going in the next over, opening his arms against Kartik Tyagi and smashing two boundaries. However, Cameron Green responded with a tight over, conceding just a single boundary and following it up with four consecutive dot balls.

Continuing to dominate the opening stand, Sooryavanshi took on Arora in his second over, collecting 15 runs with three crisp fours. He carried the momentum into the next over as well, launching KKR's premium spinner Sunil Narine for a six.

Narine, though, bounced back strongly, tightening his line to deliver five dot balls in succession. In the last over of the power-play, Green leaked 22 runs, which powered the visitors to 63/0. RR reached the 50-run mark in 5.2 overs.

KKR tightened their lines after the power play, conceding just 16 runs in the next two overs. The pressure paid off in the 8th over when Chakravarthy dismissed the dangerous Sooryavanshi for 46 in 28 balls, with six fours and two sixes, bringing up his 200th wicket in T20 cricket, bringing Dhruv Jurel to the crease. RR was 81/1 in 8.4 overs.

Chakravarthy struck again in his next over, picking up his second wicket of the match by dismissing Dhruv Jurel for just 5. Attempting a reverse sweep, Jurel completely missed the ball, and Tim Seifert, behind the stumps, did a sharp stumping.

Narine in the following over, took the price wicket of set batter Jaiswal for 39 in 29 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes, bringing Shimron Hetmyer to the crease. RR was 99/3 in 11.2 overs.

Things got worse for the Royals as Chakravarthy in the last over cleaned up RR skipper Riyan Parag (12 in 14 balls, with a four), who was struggling to put bat on ball.

KKR faced a collapse going from 81/0 to 124-5 as Narine, on the final ball of his spell, removed Donovan Ferreira for 7. Tyagi, in the 19th over, gave RR a triple blow as he removed Ravindra Jadeja, Shimron Hetmyer, and Ravi Bishnoi.

Arora, in the final over, gave 9 runs to restrict the visitors to 155/9. Varun (3/14) and Kartik Tyagi (3/22) were the top bowlers for KKR, while Sunil Narine (2/26) in four overs also delivered a masterful spell.

With inputs from agencies