Kolkata: Vice-captain Rinku Singh lived as much as expectations with a composed unbeaten 53 as Kolkata Knight Riders survived anxious moments to script their first win of IPL 2026 with a four-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals, right here on Sunday, April 19.
Courtesy Rinku and Anukul Roy, the goal was achieved with two balls to spare and the win took them to ninth spot within the 10-team desk.
Wily Varun Chakravarthy (3/14) returned to his finest, displaying good chemistry with veteran Sunil Narine (2/26) as KKR rediscovered their spin magic at Eden Gardens to limit RR to an under-par 155/9. Rookie pacer Kartik Tyagi (3/22) additionally shone on the loss of life with essential wickets.
The bowlers had completed half the job for KKR in pursuit of their maiden victory after six matches, and it was as much as the batters to complete the duty.
However what adopted was one other acquainted batting horror from a line-up that has struggled for consistency this season.
Reeling at 85/6 in 13.3 overs, KKR wanted 69 runs from the final six overs, with RR’s bowlers tightening the screws and Rinku alongside Anukul Roy showing to be the final recognised pair.
Then got here a second of fortune as Rinku was dropped on eight by Nandre Burger — a sitter that proved to be the turning level.
The KKR vice-captain made full use of the reprieve to alter gears, whereas Roy performed the right supporting function because the duo stitched a match-winning 76-run seventh-wicket stand off simply 37 balls to seal KKR’s first win of the season.
The much-awaited victory got here after a six-match winless run, taking KKR to a few factors on the midway stage. For RR, it was a second successive defeat, with their middle-order considerations persisting, particularly with skipper Riyan Parag enduring a lean run.
The win will carry much-needed aid for KKR, who had misplaced from successful positions in latest video games. It took them 22 days to lastly break the jinx.
On a day when skipper Ajinkya Rahane failed once more, registering a second successive duck, it was Rinku who led from the entrance with 53 not out off 34 balls (5×4, 2×6). Roy complemented him effectively with 29 not out off 16 balls (1×4, 2×6).
Rinku shifted momentum with a slog-sweep six off Ravi Bishnoi within the sixteenth over, whereas Roy matched him with a six in an over that yielded 19 runs.
Rinku then took on RR’s finest bowler Jofra Archer with two boundaries, and Roy confirmed nice composure by hanging a six off him within the penultimate over as KKR have been left needing simply 11 runs within the closing over.
RR will rue falling brief by not less than 30 runs, undone by the brilliance of Chakravarthy, Narine and Tyagi.
Nonetheless, that they had an ideal begin whereas defending 155. The fiery tempo duo of Archer and Burger lowered KKR to five/2 in 1.2 overs.
Archer struck with the very first ball, rattling Tim Seifert’s stumps with a pointy incoming supply. Rahane adopted quickly after, edging behind to depart for a duck.
Cameron Inexperienced, who had impressed with a 79 within the earlier match, counter-attacked with three consecutive boundaries and a six to revive KKR, taking them to 31/2 in 4 overs.
However a sensible spell from Bishnoi, mixed with a second of brilliance from wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, reduce brief Inexperienced’s innings at 27 (13).
Thereafter, skilled campaigner Ravindra Jadeja utilized additional stress along with his tight traces and switch, dismissing Angkrish Raghuvanshi (10) and Rovman Powell (23) to go away KKR struggling at 70/5 in 10.1 overs.
However simply when the chase appeared to be slipping away, Rinku and Roy turned the sport on its head with a partnership stuffed with composure and perception.
Earlier RR raced to 63 for no loss within the energy play afer electing to bat.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane appeared overly defensive along with his method, delaying the introduction of spin because the Rajasthan openers — Yashasvi Jaiswal and younger Vaibhav Sooryavanshi — clocking at over 10 an over in opposition to the innocuous KKR tempo assault.
However once they have been inserted, the much-anticipated match-up between Sooryavanshi and the skilled spin duo lived as much as the expectations.
The 15-year-old struck Narine for a second ball six, however the veteran responded with 5 dot balls in his first over.
Chakravarthy then dismissed him along with his fourth supply, reaching his landmark two hundredth T20 wicket.
Sooryavanshi’s slog sweep lacked energy and was taken by a well-judged Ramandeep Singh at deep midwicket.
That dismissal triggered a collapse as RR, cruising at practically 10 runs per over on the midway stage, slipped to 118/4 in 15 overs, with the run price dropping beneath eight.
They misplaced Sooryavanshi (46 off 28), Dhruv Jurel (5), Jaiswal (39 off 29) and skipper Riyan Parag (12) in fast succession in opposition to the run of play. Parag, the controversial selection as RR skipper, has been the worst performer for Royals up to now.
The center part belonged fully to KKR’s spin duo, who bowled in tandem and choked the scoring.
