23hSidharth Monga

Rinku, Anukul, spinners earn first win for KKR

After Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy bowled frugal spells to share five wickets, the KKR middle and lower order saw them home

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

RK Singh
RK Singh
53(34) 5x4 - 2x6
Control %63%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 11 runs
  • 1x4 - 1x6
15 1 6 2 12 8 4 5
V Sooryavanshi
46(28) 6x4 - 2x6
Control %83%
  • Productive Shot
  • flick
  • 12 runs
  • 1x4 - 1x6
0 8 6 6 7 8 0 11

Best performances - Bowlers

CV Varun
CV Varun
O4
M0
R14
W3
Eco3.5
RHB
OFFLEG
2W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
Kartik Tyagi
Kartik Tyagi
O4
M0
R22
W3
Eco5.5
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
1W

Match Details

Toss

Rajasthan Royals , elected to bat first

Player Of The Match

Season

Hours of play (local time)

15.30 start, First Session 15.30-17.00, Interval 17.00-17.15, Second Session 17.15-18.45

Match days

19 April 2026 - day/night match (20-over match)

Twenty20 debut

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Points

Kolkata Knight Riders 2, Rajasthan Royals 0

Scorer: Ranjith P | Commentator: @himanshu_a30

A last-over thriller at Eden is done. Both teams had their chances and moments, but, of course, only one could win. RR's bowler missed their lengths in the final overs, as Rinku ran riot. KKR show it's never too late to win, and move up from the bottom place in the points table. You can now follow PBKS vs LSG from New Chandigarh, as we wrap this one up. See you!

Varun Chakravarthy is the Player of the Match: "Fells great. Before I talk about myself, I have to give credit to the entire coaching staff. There was too much outside noise. We deserve this win. I still have two fractures in my left hand. It's a little tough, but I'm still trying to manager. It was a little slow, but perfectly suitable for us. We don't know where we'll end up, but we're making a statement that we're not pushovers."

Ajinkya Rahane: "Really happy to be here. Feels really good. There were a lot of emotions during the game. I'm really happy for Rinku, Anukul and Varun. The way Varun bowled... Anukul had a fantastic domestic competition. Most of the practice sessions, we have had conversations. It's about reading the situation well. Cricket is a simple game. This victory will give us confidence. The bowlers are coming nicely together. Batting wise, we can still improve. Kartik Tyagi has been really good. Since the practice games we played, he has been really clear about what he wants to do in the middle. He's still young, but the confidence he has is amazing. Really happy to see him gaining that confidence as a fast bowler. There's lots to learn. Batting wise, we've had a bad powerplay for the last three games. Sometimes I feel strike rate is over rated. A wicket like this... we saw what happened today. This was a great escape for us. As a batting unit, we need to learn very quickly. We'll get those five or six extra days now... The atmosphere we have is very amazing. The fans have been fantastic throughout. Last five games were really bad for us. This victory belongs to them. They have been amazing and very positive. You get those positive vibes."

Time for the presentations

Rinku Singh: "When runs don't come, you start thinking. It was not that I was hesitating in hitting my shots. The mindset was to take it till the end. You play those shots [when he was dropped off a no-look slog] when your mind isn't working. God helped me. It was a very good innings for my confidence. The win will give us a lot of confidence. We'll look to carry this momentum forward."

Riyan Parag: "We assessed it was a 170 wicket. So we were dead under par. It was our game. No excuses there. We can't be dropping catches. We can't be bowling lines that favour the batsmen. There was a lot of spin on the wicket. The way Jaddu, Bishi and Punja bowled, I thought the way forward was spin [and hence he bowled an over]. Brijesh was almost there to bowl the 14th and the 16th [overs] as well. But they lost wickets and there were left-handers. So I bowled... Once Bishnoi's over was done, I felt spinners might go [for runs] here given the left-handers. I feel the game plan was there. It was a 170 wicket... we tried giving ourselves time, but it didn't come off. I felt Punja bowled really well. There were a few nerves in his first over."

7.17pm Rinku was dropped on 8 when Burger spilled a sitter. At that stage, KKR were 73 for 5 in 11 overs. They needed another 83 runs off 54 balls, with an out-of-form Rinku in the middle. But what a role luck plays in sport! Rinku ended up unbeaten on 53 off 34 deliveries, and added a match-turning 76 for the seventh wicket with Anukul, whose big hits may be forgotten amid Rinku's more impactful knock. KKR, though, are now on the board as a result of this win.

19.4
6
Brijesh Sharma to Singh, SIX, top edge, six, Rinku's fifty, and KKR's first win this season!! Eden turns purple with a million KKR flags fluttering in the air. It was a short delivery from Brijesh, and Rinku went for the pull. But the ball ballooned off the top edge, and went over Jurel to land just beyond the boundary. The seventh-wicket pair of Rinku and Anukul takes KKR to their first win in seven attempts
19.3
0
Brijesh Sharma to Singh, no run, Rinku has a heave but is hit on his pad outside leg. The impact is outside leg, and the ball trickles down on the pitch. Anukul wants the run, but is sent back

1 off 4.

19.2
4
Brijesh Sharma to Singh, FOUR, four more!! Rinku clatters this over extra cover. Lack of pace, and full and just outside off. Rinku reads it, and slashes it late with confidence in his eyes
19.1
4
Brijesh Sharma to Singh, FOUR, pulled wide of short fine leg. Rinku brings it down to 5 needed off 5. Short of a length, and slow just outside leg. Rinku places it to the right of the man inside the circle

The KKR dugout is full of nerves and tensed faces. It'll be Brijesh.

Who bowls the final over? KKR need nine runs.

END OF OVER:
19 | 12 Runs | KKR: 147/6 (9 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.73, RRR: 9.00)

  • Anukul Roy29 (16b)
  • Rinku Singh39 (30b)
  • Jofra Archer4-0-35-1
  • Brijesh Sharma1-0-7-0
18.6
2
Archer to Roy, 2 runs, low full toss on off, and lofted unconvincingly towards mid-off. The man from long-off chases it forward, but can't prevent two

Archer is taking his time here. One key ball left.

Nagesh: "A tie is brewing is what my hunch says. Anyone with me?" --- Ssshhh....

18.5
1
Archer to Singh, 1 run, nicely bowled. Another yorker on off, and Rinku is nearly squared up as he drives it off the outside half of the bat to deep-backward point

KKR 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st0AM RahaneTL Seifert
2nd5AM RahaneA Raghuvanshi
3rd32C GreenA Raghuvanshi
4th15R PowellA Raghuvanshi
5th18RK SinghR Powell
6th15RK SinghRamandeep Singh
7th76RK SinghAS Roy