NEW DELHI: Rinku Singh delivered a match-defining fielding performance as Kolkata Knight Riders edged Rajasthan Royals by just one run in a dramatic finish at Eden Gardens on Sunday, keeping their IPL 2025 playoff hopes alive.
With Royals needing three runs off the final ball, Shubham Dubey hit the ball to long-off and called for two. But Rinku, patrolling the boundary, sprinted in, picked up cleanly, and fired a one-bounce throw to Vaibhav Arora, who calmly removed the bails to catch a diving Jofra Archer short of his crease. It sealed a one-run win and triggered wild celebrations from the KKR camp.
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Rinku’s outfield brilliance had earlier saved a boundary in the 19th over with a full-length dive — an effort that proved decisive in the context of a high-scoring thriller.
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“It was important to save that (18.2) boundary. This is one of the quickest outfields in India. It is my role to do well in the outfield, I like to take the responsibility,” Rinku said after the win. He added, “I enjoy my fielding, probably more than my batting.”
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With the bat, Rinku also chipped in with a vital cameo — an unbeaten 19 off 6 balls — to help KKR finish on 206/4. Andre Russell, rediscovering form, bludgeoned 57 not out off 25 balls with six towering sixes.
“Russell scored some crucial runs, he hasn’t been among the runs this season… the stage was set,” Rinku added. “We are taking one game at a time, not thinking too much of the future.”
The win lifted KKR to fifth in the standings with 11 points.
