Vice-captain Rinku Singh’s composed 53 not out guided Kolkata Knight Riders to their first win of IPL 2026 as they beat Rajasthan Royals by four wickets at Eden Gardens on April 19, reaching 161 for 6 with two balls to spare and moving to ninth in the 10-team table. The victory ended a six-match winless run and gave KKR three points at the halfway stage of the tournament.
KKR’s bowlers did the early damage, with Varun Chakravarthy returning to form (3/14) and veteran Sunil Narine supporting well (2/26) to restrict Rajasthan to a below-par 155 for 9. Rookie pacer Kartik Tyagi impressed at the death with 3 for 22, while Yashasvi Jaiswal (39) and Ishan Sooryavanshi (46) were the main contributors for RR.
Chasing 156, KKR’s top order collapsed under the new-ball challenge from Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger, slipping to 85 for 6 in 13.3 overs and needing 69 from the last six. A pivotal moment came when Nandre Burger dropped Rinku on eight — a reprieve that proved decisive.
Rinku and Anukul Roy then produced a match-turning seventh-wicket partnership of 76 off 37 balls. Rinku accelerated with a slog-sweep six off Ravi Bishnoi and finished 53 not out off 34 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes). Roy played the perfect foil, scoring 29 not out off 16 (1 four, 2 sixes), including a crucial six off Archer in the penultimate over. Ravindra Jadeja’s handy 2 for 8 also helped close out the chase.
The win will be welcome relief for KKR, who had lost from winning positions in recent matches and took 22 days to break the jinx. For Rajasthan, it was a second successive defeat that highlighted continued middle-order concerns and a lean run for skipper Riyan Parag, despite an excellent new-ball spell that reduced KKR to 5 for 2 inside 1.2 overs.
Ajinkya Rahane failed again, registering a second successive duck; Rahane currently holds the record for the most IPL ducks as an opener (12). Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 155 for 9 in 20 overs (Jaiswal 39, Sooryavanshi 46; Chakravarthy 3/14, Tyagi 3/22, Narine 2/26). Kolkata Knight Riders 161 for 6 in 19.4 overs (Rinku 53 not out; Ravindra Jadeja 2/8). (PTI)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/04/20/rinku-anukul-spinners-earn-first-win-for-kkr/
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Publish Date: 2026-04-20 06:40:00
