Kolkata Knight Riders batter Rinku Singh scored a brilliant 83 not out in IPL 2026 match against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.
Updated: April 27, 2026 5:27 PM IST
LSG vs KKR IPL 2026: Kolkata Knight Riders batter Rinku Singh created history in the Indian Premier League becoming Indian batter with the highest-ever score coming in at No. 6 or lower in the order. Pant with his blazing 83 not out, surpassed former India and Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni, who had the best Indian score of 70 till Sunday night.
Out of these 83, Rinku managed to smash 26 runs in the final over bowled by Lucknow Super Giants leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi, studded with four successive sixes. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live’, JioStar expert Irfan Pathan believes KKR would not have been able to win the match if Rinku Singh didn’t get 26 runs in the final over.
“Rinku Singh’s awareness in that final over was outstanding. He anticipated the bowler’s plans, adjusted his position, and created scoring options on both sides of the wicket. Those four sixes completely changed the momentum,” Pathan said on JioHotstar.
“Without those 26 runs, KKR wouldn’t have won this game. What stood out even more was the responsibility he took. There was a moment when he chose to keep strike, backing himself to finish the over, and he delivered under pressure. That’s what sets him apart, the ability to read situations and take control when it matters most,” he added.
6⃣, 6⃣, 6⃣, 6⃣
Enjoy Rinku Singh’s sizzling ball-striking in the last over
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/elFxwvCeWO#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #LSGvKKR | @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/98wGgWK14c
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 26, 2026
It was Rinku Singh’s 83 and four brilliant catches with helped KKR tie the contest with LSG, defending 156 runs to win. Rinku Singh became only the fourth cricketer with a 50-plus score and claim three catches in an IPL match.
But it was KKR and former West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine brilliant ‘Super Over’ in which he conceded only 1 runs which set up KKR win.
“What stood out was the quality of the delivery that he bowled to dismiss Nicholas Pooran and the calmness with which Sunil Narine executed it. To do this consistently over the years, especially in pressure situations like a Super Over, is remarkable,” Pathan said about Narine.
“He has faced challenges in his career, but he’s always found a way to come back stronger. You don’t often see teams turning to a spinner in moments like these, but Narine is an exception. His composure, even when others are appealing or under pressure, allows him to focus on the finer details, and once again, he delivered when it mattered most,” Pathan added.
‘Huge mistake to send Nicholas Pooran to bat in Super Over’
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta blamed LSG blunder to send out of form batter Nicholas Pooran in the Super Over ahead of Mitchell Marsh. Pooran, who was retained for Rs 21 crore ahead of IPL 2026, has only average 10.5 this year.
Speaking on Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’, JioStar expert Deep Dasgupta said, “LSG had two back-to-back games, one against RR and one against KKR, where they should have won. I understand that against Kolkata, it wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on, but you would expect them to chase 155 comfortably. Not being able to chase with that kind of batting order is not good for the morale of their dressing room. You know quite well that your batters are unable to score runs and on top of that, you made a huge mistake of sending someone like Nicholas Pooran to bat in the Super Over ahead of Mitchell Marsh, who has been their top run-getter this season.
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“Mitchell Marsh, Himmat Singh and Aiden Markram should have been the ideal three batters to play in the Super Over. Instead, they sent an under-confident Pooran. In T20 cricket, losing close games like these back-to-back can break a team’s season. LSG need to fix their batting order and decision-making quickly, or the Playoffs will slip away,” Dasgupta said.
