IPL 2023 Match 13: Rinku heroics hands KKR incredible victory over Titans off last ball

Needing 29 runs to win, off the last over, KKR’s Rinku Singh hit 5x6s to win the match in sensational style, by 3 wickets, at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, today.

Match Summary

Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Match 13, Indian Premier League

Gujarat Titans 204/4 (20 ov)

Kolkata Knight Riders 207/7 (20 ov)

Result - Kolkata Knight Riders won by 3 wickets

SCORECARD

Rinkuuuuuuuuuu ?????????? pic.twitter.com/6u3bBm6d37

— Shreyas Iyer (@ShreyasIyer15) April 9, 2023

Match Analysis

Indian batsman Rinku Singh blasted five sixes on the final five balls as Kolkata Knight Riders chased down 205 to stun champions Gujarat Titans in an IPL thriller on Sunday.

The left-hander turned the chase on its head with an unbeaten 21-ball 48, after Kolkata slipped to 155-7 following Rashid Khan's hat-trick at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

Kolkata needed 29 from the final over off Yash Dayal. Rinku took strike after Umesh Yadav's single on the first ball to send five hits over the fence and silence a raucous home crowd.

The chase was set up by a 40-ball 83 by impact player Venkatesh Iyer, who put on a 100-run third-wicket stand with skipper Nitish Rana, who made 45.

"Tonight was another example that we will never give up as a team," Iyer said after the three-wicket win. "The wicket was quite good to bat and I was just trying to execute my plans."

Iyer, who came on in place of Suyash Sharma under the new impact player rule, fell to Alzarri Joseph and Rashid soon took over to claim his first Indian Premier League hat-trick.

Rashid, a champion leg-spinner who now has four hat-tricks in T20 cricket, went for a celebratory sprint after sending back Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Shardul Thakur.

But little did Rashid know Rinku and Kolkata would have the last laugh.

"A tough game for us, especially as a captain," said Rashid, standing in as skipper for the unwell Hardik Pandya. "That is what T20 is all about, it is about entertainment."

After two straight wins, two-time champions Kolkata took second spot in the 10-team table, behind leaders Rajasthan Royals.

It was a first defeat of the season for Gujarat, who won the league in their debut campaign last year.

Earlier Gujarat's Vijay Shankar smashed five sixes in his 24-ball 63 as Gujarat took 45 runs from the final two overs to reach 204-4.

Shankar stood out for Gujarat with his blitz and key partnerships including an unbeaten 51-run fifth-wicket stand with David Miller, who made two.

 Match Stats

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Abhinav Manohar, Rashid Khan (captain) Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami; Subs: Josh Little, Jayant Yadav, Srikar Bharat, Mohit Sharma, Matthew Wade

Impact player: Josh Little for Sai Sudharsan (1st innings, 19.6 ov)

Kolkata Knight Riders Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz - 2.3 ov), 2-28 (Narayan Jagadeesan - 3.6 ov), 3-128 (Nitish Rana - 13.1 ov), 4-154 (Venkatesh Iyer - 15.5 ov), 5-155 (Andre Russell - 16.1 ov), 6-155 (Sunil Narine - 16.2 ov), 7-155 (Shardul Thakur - 16.3 ov)

Impact player: Venkatesh Iyer for Suyash Sharma (2nd innings, 2.3 ov)

Playing XIs

Gujarat Titans: Wriddhiman Saha(WK), Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Vijay Shankar, David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan(C), Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph, Josh Little

Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(WK), Narayan Jagadeesan, Nitish Rana(C), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Lockie Ferguson

 

Match Details:

Date: Sunday, April 9, 2023 11:00

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Toss: Gujarat Titans elected to bat