Rinku Singh once again underlined why he is regarded as one of IPL’s most dependable finishers, steering Kolkata Knight Riders to a dramatic win over Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2026 meeting on Sunday. The contest at the Ekana Stadium swung sharply after KKR found themselves in a precarious position of 93/7 as the innings moved into its final stages. From there, Rinku took charge with a remarkable surge, remaining unbeaten on 83 off 51 deliveries and hauling his side to a fighting total of 155/7.
Lucknow’s response matched the pressure and the scoreboard pressure, with LSG also reaching 155/8 in their 20-over chase. With the scores level after the full quota, the match was forced into a Super Over, turning the spotlight onto who could handle the smallest margins. Veteran spinner Sunil Narine, bringing his decades of experience into play, delivered a decisive spell in the tie-breaker—conceding just a single run and striking twice to dismiss two batters. Lucknow were restricted to 1, setting a simple target for KKR.
KKR completed the chase on the very first delivery, securing victory and sending Rinku’s all-round impact into the spotlight even further. The Player of the Match award, however, followed not only the on-field heroics; it also came with a memorable family moment captured later through a video call. In a heartwarming interaction, Rinku shared the screen with his loved ones, and the funniest highlight arrived when his sister spoke to Narine, prompting laughter from everyone—including Rinku.
In a clip posted by KKR on X (formerly Twitter), Rinku’s sister was heard greeting Narine with “Hello bhaiya” (Hello brother). Rinku then quickly corrected the phrasing, asking her to refer to him as “brother” instead, explaining that the West Indies spinner does not understand Hindi. Even after the reminder, his sister continued to praise Narine in Hindi, saying, “Bahut acchi bowling kari aapne” (You bowled really well today). Narine, smiling, responded with a polite “Thank you very much” as the moment wrapped up.
With both sides tied on 155 after 40 overs, Narine’s Super Over performance proved to be the defining difference-maker. Drawing on his craft and calm under pressure, he dismissed Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram, ensuring Lucknow were bowled out for 1—the lowest Super Over total ever recorded. Back in the main chase, Rinku also contributed in the field, taking four catches, before stepping up with the bat to score the winning runs and finish the night in style for KKR.
