The Kolkata Knight Riders looked to be handling their challenging 239-run chase pretty well until the 13th over in their IPL 2025 match against the Lucknow Super Giants. However, everything changed when captain Ajinkya Rahane hit a full toss from Shardul Thakur straight to the covers on the last ball of that over. This moment marked a shift in momentum towards LSG. KKR didn't do themselves any favors by waiting too long to bring in Andre Russell and Rinku Singh, two of their most powerful batsmen.

Russell came in at No. 7, with Rinku following him. Ultimately, KKR fell short by four runs, even after a strong finish from Rinku. After the match, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif criticized the KKR management for batting Russell at No. 7 and Rinku at No. 8 in a chase that required 12 runs per over from the start.

Kaif emphasized that KKR should stop fixating on the right-left batting combination and instead prioritize the overall skills of the players.

"KKR needs to stop overthinking the right-left theory. When you're chasing 239, you can't afford to have Russell at No. 7 and Rinku at No. 8. That's way too late for your big hitters," Kaif posted on X.

KKR stumbles after Rahane's dismissal, and Rinku's late heroics go to waste

After Rahane was dismissed for a solid 61 off 35 balls, KKR brought in Ramandeep Singh at No. 5, needing 77 runs from 42 balls. Unfortunately, he only managed to score 1 off 2 balls, and there was still no sign of Russell or Rinku. Instead, Angrish Raghuvanshi stepped up, who has been performing well this IPL, though he’s not typically known for explosive hitting.

KKR continued to lose wickets rapidly. After hitting a boundary, Raghuvanshi attempted a reverse sweep against Avesh Khan but ended up giving a simple catch to LSG captain Rishabh Pant. Andre Russell came in next, but KKR lost the well-set Venkatesh Iyer for just 4 runs. From a comfortable 162/2, they plummeted to 177/6, losing five wickets for a mere 15 runs.

Russell managed to hit a six in the 16th over but was caught at long-off on the very first ball of the 17th over. Rinku then stepped up, smashing two sixes and six fours over the next four overs, but it still wasn’t enough for KKR to clinch the win. He had to avoid singles in the second-to-last over due to a lack of support. In the final over, Harshit Rana hit a four off Ravi Bishnoi's first delivery but missed the next one. Rinku faced an uphill battle needing 19 runs off 3 balls when Harshit handed him the strike. The left-hander hit two fours and a six, finishing unbeaten on 38 off 15 balls, bringing KKR close to a remarkable chase. Ultimately, they lost by just four runs.

This marked KKR's third defeat by four runs or fewer against LSG.

Read Also: Sunil Narine Falls Short: Eighth Wonder of Not Completing Four Overs

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