Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rinku Singh hit Yash Dayal for five sixes off the last five balls to give his team a three-wicket win against Gujarat Titans overnight in one of the most extraordinary finishes in the history of the Indian Premier League.
Singh’s 48 not out off 21 deliveries lifted Kolkata to 207-7 with left-arm quick Dayal finishing with 0-69 in four overs. Vijay Shankar had powered Gujarat to a strong 204-4 with 63 not out off only 24 balls after stand-in captain Rashid Khan won the toss and chose to bat first in front of home fans.
Rashid, who led the side in the absence of unwell regular skipper Hardik Pandya, had nearly sealed the game with a hat trick in his last over that left Kolkata needing 29 off the final over.
Umesh Yadav gave the strike back to Singh with a single off the first ball and Singh then clubbed five big hits against Dayal’s wayward lengths that included two sixes off low full tosses.
“A tough game for us, especially as a captain,” Rashid said. “Rinku played some unbelievable shots. He (Dayal) tried his best deliveries but it did not work, credit goes to the batter the way he finished.”
