IPL 2023: PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh left teary-eyed after Rinku Singh pulls out another last-ball triumph for KKR
IPL 2023 KKR vs PBKS Highlights: Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and opted to bat first at the Eden Gardens. They scored 58 runs in the powerplay but lost Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Liam Livingstone in that period.
Dhawan then stitched things up for Punjab in the middle over, putting up a 53-run stand with Jitesh Sharma for the third wicket. Dhawan scored 57 off 47 before falling to his KKR counterpart Nitish Rana. PBKS struggled to get momentum until the last two overs in which Shahrukh Khan and Harpreet Brar gave them a big boost. 36 runs were scored in those two overs, with 21 coming off the last and Punjab kings scored 179/7. Shahrukh was unbeaten on 21 off 8 while Brar was on 17 off 9.
In response, KKR were not able to get too much momentum going in the powerplay and it has now come to a point where they need more than 50 runs to win in the last five overs. However, Andre Russell turned the tables with three sixes in the 19th over. KKR suddenly needed just six to win off the last over but Arshdeep Singh made sure it went down to the last ball. Rinku Singh hit a four off that to take KKR over the line.
Arshdeep Singh left teary-eyed after Rinku Singh smacks him, wins another last-ball thriller for KKR
Given how IPL 2023 has shaped up so far, the clash at the Eden Gardens between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) had the utmost significance for both teams. Punjab Kings set a target of 180 at the venue. A sketchy fifty from KKR skipper Nitish Rana kept the hosts alive in the chase, but with the PBKS spinners working in tandem, the equation came down to 51 off the last four overs. Considering it was not the usual batting belter, KKR were under pressure.
In the final ball of the match, Arshdeep went with the full toss and Rinku shuffled slightly and flicked it towards deep backward square leg. The fielder in the deep made an effort to cover the ground, but the ball blazed away towards the boundary ropes. Rinku did it again for KKR as the hosts stayed alive with a chance to make the playoffs in IPL 2023 with another thriller of a win.
Rinku Singh was the hero of the game as the batsman finishes with a boundary and the batsman kept his cool despite Arshdeep’s effort with the ball. What a brilliant match and Kolkata stays alive for a place in the play-offs with a five-wicket win.
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