Kolkata Knight Riders' vice-captain Rinku Singh had been facing criticism since the start of IPL 2026. His bat had been relatively quiet since the previous season, and being appointed vice-captain this year brought him further under the scanner. KKR's consecutive losses also raised questions about his performance. However, the star batter showcased the explosive form that made him famous during the match against Lucknow Super Giants, where he rescued the team by hitting four consecutive sixes.
Mohsin Khan's Dominance and KKR's Batting Collapse
In the match against Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata Knight Riders batted first. Similar to almost every previous match this season, Kolkata's batting lineup failed once again. Mohsin Khan dismantled the top and middle order, claiming 5 wickets. By the end of 15 overs, Kolkata had lost 7 wickets for just 93 runs, making it seem difficult for the team to reach a competitive total. It was at this juncture that Rinku Singh took charge of the innings.
Rinku Singh and Sunil Narine's Crucial Partnership
Vice-captain Rinku Singh turned the tide single-handedly from that point. He partnered with Sunil Narine to ensure no further wickets fell in the final 5 overs, accumulating 62 runs during this period. While Narine contributed only 4 runs to this stand, the bulk of the scoring was done by Rinku. He launched a counter-attack and completed his half-century in 42 balls, stabilizing the innings for his side.
Four Consecutive Sixes and Career-Best Score
Rinku's most destructive form was witnessed in the 20th over. Facing spinner Digvesh Rathi, Rinku smashed four consecutive sixes to steal the show. While he couldn't replicate the feat of hitting five sixes in an over as he did against Yash Dayal three years ago, his efforts guided KKR to a respectable total of 155 runs. Rinku played a magnificent knock of 83 runs off just 51 balls, decorated with 7 boundaries and 5 sixes.
This half-century is particularly significant for Rinku as it marks his second consecutive fifty in the tournament. In the previous match, he had played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 53 runs against Rajasthan Royals. After failing to score a single half-century in the last two seasons, Rinku Singh has now completed two back-to-back fifties in this edition of the IPL.