IPL 2026: In IPL 2026 Match No.38, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got off to a shaky start against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
LSG’s star pacer Mohsin Khan put Kolkata on the back foot as he returned with immpresive figures of 5/23, leaving KKR realing at 73 runs for the loss of six wickets.
However, KKR vice-captian Rinku Singh took the charge and played a magnificent unbeaten innings of 81 runs off 53 balls – his highest individual score in the history of IPL
LSG skipper Rishabh Pant handed the final over to Digvesh Rathi, but the move backfired as Rinku Singh wrecked havoc, smashing four consecutive sixes. KKR were 129 at the end of 19 overs, but a 26-run final over lifted them to a fighting total of 155.
Rinku Singh smashes four consecutive sixes, watch video here…
Rinku’s unbeaten 81 anchored the innings, as he guided his side to a competitive score. He was well supported by Sunil Narine, with the duo stitching together an unbroken 62-run stand for the eighth wicket.
Rinku Singh smashed his first IPL fifty while batting in the first innings
For KKR, this stand became their highest partnership for the eighth wicket or lower in IPL history. Rinku unbeaten 81 also turned out to be the second-highest score for the franchise by a batter coming in at No. 6 or below. The only higher score remains Andre Russell’s blistering 88* off 36 balls against CSK in 2018.
Rinku Singh smashed his sixth IPL half-century overall, but his fifty against LSG was his first while batting in the first innings. He reached the milestone in his 34th such outing, having previously scored all five of his fifties while chasing.
In a total of 66 IPL matches and 58 innings, Rinku has now scored 1,314 runs. A significant chunk of his runs has come in the death overs, with 380 runs off just 165 balls in the 19th and 20th overs. In this phase, he has smashed 31 fours and 33 sixes, underlining his reputation as a finisher.