When Rinku Singh stepped up to bat at No. 8 against the Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens, the Kolkata Knight Riders were in a tough spot, needing 62 runs from 28 balls. Given the conditions and the batting prowess of Rinku and his partner Andre Russell, it seemed achievable. But why wait until the situation was so dire to bring in a player like Rinku?

The pressure to hit boundaries on almost every ball can lead to losing wickets, which is exactly what happened with Russell. He managed to hit a six in the 16th over but got caught out in the 17th, leaving Rinku with a heavy burden.

Despite the odds, Rinku fought hard. He finished the 17th over with a boundary through the off-side and followed it up with another off leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi in the 18th over. His power hitting really shone in the 19th over against Avesh Khan, where he smashed a six and two fours, although he also faced three dot balls as he focused on keeping the strike.

When KKR found themselves needing 28 runs in the final over, Harshit Rana managed to hit a four off Ravi Bishnoi's first delivery but missed the next one. Rinku was left with the daunting task of scoring 19 runs off just 3 balls after Harshit passed him the strike. The left-handed batsman delivered an impressive performance, smashing two fours and a six to finish with 38 runs off 15 balls, bringing KKR close to a remarkable chase. Unfortunately, they fell short by four runs.

Had KKR's management decided to send Rinku in earlier instead of sticking to the right-left batting combination, the outcome might have been different for the defending champions. This has been a recurring theme for Rinku since last season. The talented player from Uttar Pradesh was in contention for a spot on India's T20 World Cup squad last year but missed out due to limited opportunities in the IPL, as KKR primarily used him as a finisher while their top order was performing well.

This season, the three-time champions have continued to prioritize Angrish Raghuvanshi over Rinku in the batting order, which hasn't sat well with KKR fans who feel Rinku deserves better treatment.

Fans criticize KKR's coach and captain for how they handled Rinku Singh

Ajinkya Rahane's explosive performance ends up being for nothing as KKR faces defeat

KKR was aiming for 239 runs against LSG and got off to a fantastic start, thanks to captain Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine, who helped them reach 90/1 during the powerplay. After Narine was out, Venkatesh Iyer came in to support Rahane, and together they kept KKR in a strong position. However, everything changed when Rahane was dismissed.

On a night where batters shone, KKR's captain Ajinkya Rahane showcased his skills with an impressive 61 runs off just 35 balls, almost leading KKR to their highest successful chase ever.

But LSG's spin bowlers, particularly Ravi Bishnoi and Digvesh Rathi, managed to slow down the scoring just in time, securing a nail-biting victory by restricting KKR to 234/7 after LSG had set a target of 238 for three.

Rahane's brilliant innings came to an unexpected end when he fell for Shardul Thakur’s wide-ball tactic.

Interestingly, LSG bowled 20 wides as part of a strategic plan that ultimately paid off.

Rahane's wicket put a halt to the team's momentum, leading to a quick collapse where KKR lost four wickets for just 15 runs, dropping to 177/6 in 15.2 overs.

Ravi Bishnoi, despite giving away 24 runs in his last over, kept his cool and managed to defend the total in the final over, even with Rinku Singh at the crease.

LSG gave away 38 runs in the 18th and 19th overs combined, with Avesh Khan contributing 14 of those, but Bishnoi successfully wrapped up the match. Left-arm spinner Digvesh Rathi, a standout this season for LSG, shone again with figures of 1/33, including the key wicket of his idol, Sunil Narine, on his very first delivery.

That first ball against Narine (who scored 30 off 13) had the Trinidadian mis-hitting a shot straight to long-off.

Aiden Markram took the catch as Rathi, already under scrutiny for his 'notebook' celebration (which earned him three demerit points), repeated the act by writing on the Eden grass.

Earlier, Quinton de Kock (15) was dismissed after a DRS review in the third over, but Rahane and Sunil Narine quickly turned the tide, aggressively taking apart LSG's Indian pace attack.

On a hot afternoon, LSG's opening duo of Aiden Markram (47 off 28; 4 fours, 2 sixes) and Marsh got them off to a flying start, putting together 99 runs in just 62 balls.

Pooran then stole the show with an explosive unbeaten 87 off 36 balls, featuring seven fours and eight sixes, helping them achieve their second-highest IPL total. LSG was so dominant that they reached 95 without losing a wicket by the halfway mark and added 143 runs in the final 10 overs, with Pooran leading the charge.

Read Also: LSG Edge Past KKR in Nail-Biting Finish, Pooran's Fireworks Prove Decisive

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