Rinku Singh’s final-over marvel handed a memorable win to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday evening. With 28 runs needed off the last five balls in the chase of 205, the batter from Aligarh smashed five consecutive sixes, snatching victory from reigning champs, Gujarat Titans at their home ground. While Rinku rose as the star of the night, there was one young man who was seen hiding his face behind a towel. It was GT pacer Yash Dayal who failed to defend 29 runs off the last over.
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Rinku and Yash share the dressing room in the domestic circuit but on Sunday night, they were up against each other. While the latter faltered, the former set the record for the highest target achieved in the last over off an innings in the IPL.
Those five maximums on the row shattered Dayal’s confidence one after another and by the end of the game, the bowler looked completely desponded. His teammates came to console him but the drubbing would surely have left a deep impact on Dayal’s mind.
After the game, KKR came up with a heart-winning message for the GT fast bowler, setting a great example of sportsmanship.
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“Chin up, lad. Just a hard day at the office, happens to the best of players in cricket. You’re a champion, Yash, and you’re gonna come back strong," KKR tweeted.
Chin up, lad. Just a hard day at the office, happens to the best of players in cricket. You’re a champion, Yash, and you’re gonna come back strong @gujarat_titans pic.twitter.com/M0aOQEtlsx— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 9, 2023
KKR’s victory scripted Gujarat’s first defeat this season. Venkatesh Iyer smashed 83 off 40 balls and shared a 100-run partnership off 55 balls with captain Nitish Rana to take Kolkata to victory. But Rashid’s hat-trick in the 17th overturned the game in Gujarat’s favour before Rinku brought in another twist through his unbeaten 48 in a jaw-dropping display of strokeplay to seal a Kolkata win.
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Rinku, unbeaten on 48, attributed his miraculous knock to immense self-belief.
“I had the belief that I can do this. (Nitish) Rana bhai said to keep the belief and to bat till the end, then we will see what happens.
“I was just trying to hit sixes. (Umesh) bhaiya was asking me not to think much and just play the ball. I was not thinking a lot, was just reacting to the ball. It kept coming out of the middle, I had belief and it came off in the end," he said after getting the Player of the Match award in the post-match presentation ceremony.
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