Rinku Singh was the star of KKR's win over LSG. Courtesy: AP

Rinku Singh rescues KKR again as LSG hit rock bottom after Super Over thriller

IPL 2026, LSG vs KKR: Rinku Singh scored 83 runs, took five catches and hit the winning runs in the Super Over as Kolkata Knight Riders beat the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

26 Apr 2026, 18:33 by Sabyasachi Chowdhury · India Today

In Short

Rinku Singh scored 83 runs and took 5 catches
Rinku also hit the winning runs in the Super Over
Mohsin Khan took 5 wickets, but his efforts went in vain

Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders (155/7) beat Lucknow Super Giants (155/8 in 20 ovs) in the Super Over at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

LSG vs KKR: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD

Let’s be brutally honest, Kolkata Knight Riders would still have been winless in IPL 2026 had Rinku Singh not been there. Let’s embrace the truth that KKR would have lost both their matches to Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants had Rinku not been there. After his heroics against the Royals, Rinku played the rescue act yet again, helping the Knight Riders beat the Super Giants in the first Super Over of IPL 2026 on Sunday in Lucknow.

With 17 needed off the final over of LSG’s chase, it seemed the home side would once again and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, just as they did at Eden Gardens, especially with Kartik Tyagi looking nervy in the crunch moments. But Rinku had other ideas.

During the stipulated 40 overs, Rinku scored an unbeaten 83 off 51 balls and took four catches. As if that wasn’t enough, he pulled off an incredible rebound catch in the Super Over as KKR had the last laugh. It was only fitting that he also hit the winning runs in the one-over eliminator.

There’s no denying that had Rinku not been there, KKR would still have been struggling at the bottom of the table, staring at early elimination and needing more than a miracle to reach the playoffs.

For the Super Giants, Mohsin Khan picked up five wickets, his first such haul in the IPL, but it ultimately came in a losing cause. The team’s troubles continue to mount as they have now lost five matches on the trot and slipped to the bottom of the table. Rishabh Pant’s men have plenty of introspection ahead as the pressure continues to build.

MOHSIN KHAN WREAKS HAVOC

Mohsin Khan took five wickets against KKR. Courtesy: AP

After being asked to bat first, KKR had no clue early on against Mohsin Khan, especially in the first half. Mohsin rattled the Knight Riders, reducing them to 73 for six in 11 overs. To begin with, Ajinkya Rahane smashed Mohammed Shami for a six over mid-wicket, but otherwise had very little idea of how to pierce the gaps and keep the scoreboard moving.

With Rahane taking his time, pressure built on Tim Seifert, who registered back-to-back ducks. Mohsin ensured that LSG took the upper hand right from the word go. Things went from bad to worse for the Knight Riders when Angkrish Raghuvanshi was given out obstructing the field, enraging the KKR camp. Reduced to 31 for three in the powerplay, KKR looked all at sea.

Rovman Powell also fell cheaply, leaving KKR in all sorts of trouble. Cameron Green and Rinku Singh then started rebuilding the innings with a 42-run stand for the fourth wicket, but once again, Mohsin stalled their progress. Green was bringing KKR back into the game with a 34-run knock before Mohsin removed him.

Mohsin didn’t stop there and dismissed Anukul Roy to claim his maiden five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 4-1-23-5 and putting the Super Giants firmly on top. At that point, it seemed the Knight Riders might even get bowled out for under 100, but they still had someone called Rinku Singh at the crease.

RINKU RESCUES KOLKATA

With the Knight Riders struggling to even play out their full quota of 20 overs, Rinku put his hands up. As wickets were haemorrhaging at the other end, he respected the situation and absorbed the pressure. The left-hander went at around a run-a-ball for the majority of his innings, scoring 43 runs off his first 40 deliveries.

But once he got the measure of the LSG bowlers, he shifted gears. From being in danger of not even reaching a competitive total, KKR recovered to post a respectable 155 for seven. In the final two overs, they plundered 43 runs as Rinku took Shami and Digvesh Rathi to the cleaners.

He began by taking down Shami, smashing a massive six over sweeper cover and following it up with two more fours. In the final over, Rinku unleashed a brutal assault on Digvesh Rathi, hammering him for four consecutive sixes. Given the way he batted, it seemed Rinku had a point to prove.

The Super Giants made a tactical error by handing the 20th over to a spinner, and it proved costly as Rathi conceded 26 runs in the over.

KARTIK FALTERS IN LAST OVER

With Lucknow offering a tougher scoring surface compared to other venues, the Knight Riders were very much in the game. KKR made a brilliant start as Vaibhav Arora dismissed Mitchell Marsh, thanks to a stupendous catch from Rovman Powell.

Thereafter, Aiden Markram (31) and Rishabh Pant (42) steadied the innings for the Super Giants with a 57-run stand for the second wicket, although the required run rate had climbed to around nine by then.

But both batters departed in quick succession as the Knight Riders began to tighten the screws on the Super Giants. Nicholas Pooran’s poor run of form continued, with Varun Chakravarthy accounting for his wicket. Ayush Badoni made 24, but as the required run rate climbed to 12 with around four overs remaining, KKR looked like firm favourites.

Mukul Chaudhary, who had played the match-winning knock at Eden, fell for single digits as well. However, Impact Sub Himmat Singh and Mohammed Shami kept their composure. In the final over, Himmat was dismissed after scoring 19, but with seven needed off the last ball, Shami smashed Tyagi for a six down the ground to force a Super Over.

Tyagi also appeared under immense pressure, bowling two waist-high full tosses. The Knight Riders had the option of turning to Green, who had bowled two overs for 12 runs and taken a wicket, but instead they opted for Tyagi, a decision that nearly cost them.

EVERGREEN NARINE TAKES KKR HOME

Sunil Narine bowled brilliantly in the Super Over. Courtesy: Reuters

In the Super Over, the Knight Riders had no hesitation in handing the ball to Sunil Narine despite having several pacers at their disposal. Narine repaid the faith in style, conceding just one run. For Pooran, it was deja vu as Narine once again dismissed him, just as he had in the 2014 Caribbean Premier League, where he bowled a maiden Super Over to him.

After dismissing Pooran, Narine removed Markram as well, though the credit for that wicket was shared with Powell and Rinku. Powell initially grabbed the ball near the boundary but, realising he was about to step over, flicked it back into play. Rinku then completed the catch off the rebound, sparking wild celebrations in the KKR camp.

From there, it was only a matter of time before KKR sealed the win. Rinku stayed composed, opening the face of the bat to guide a full delivery from Prince Yadav through point for four, taking KKR past the finish line in a heart-stopping contest.

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