Rinku the difference as KKR squeeze through for first win in Eden tug-of-war

It wasn’t meant to be a night of drama. Not so deep into the season, certainly not for a side looking absolutely down and out. But Rinku Singh has a knack for rewriting scripts when the chips are down. So, when Rajasthan Royals gave him a reprieve on eight, Rinku turned it into a second chance, and how. With an unbeaten 34-ball 53 that was less about fireworks and more about fortitude, Rinku guided Kolkata Knight Riders to their first win of IPL 2026, by four wickets against Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

This win would also have been impossible without the 16-ball 29* from Anukul Roy, who came at the fall of the sixth wicket in the 14th over with KKR still needing 71 runs to win. With Roy playing the perfect foil at the other end, Rinku navigated the innings through stutters and stumbles, helping add 50 runs for the sixth wicket till the equation read 21 needed off 12 balls.

KKR hadn’t been in this scenario for a long time. And with their survival hinging on this match, there was no way Rinku could have frittered away this chance. KKR needed a win, and so did Rinku.