Rinku Singh‘s unbeaten knock of 83 proved to be the turning point as Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Lucknow Super Giants in a thrilling IPL 2026 encounter on Sunday. Batting first, KKR posted 155/7 in their 20 overs, with Rinku emerging as the chief architect of the innings. In response, LSG suffered a batting collapse but still managed to scrape through to 155/8, pushing the contest into a Super Over. Sunil Narine then delivered a masterclass, bundling LSG out for just one run before KKR chased down the target on the very first ball.
Playing at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, Rinku also had the support of his fiancee and Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj, who was present in the stands to watch her partner shine for KKR.
After the match, KKR shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) in which Priya dedicated Rinku’s match-winning knock to his late father, Khanchand Singh.
“I am very happy. Whatever he played today was for my father-in-law, and I am missing him a lot today,” Priya said.
What it’s all aboutpic.twitter.com/t4l5Rb3zMj
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 26, 2026
For context, Rinku’s father Khanchand Singh passed away in March 2026 during the T20 World Cup. He had been undergoing treatment for fourth-stage liver cancer before his death was confirmed.
Speaking after the match, Rinku was asked by the presenter whether he should be called “Rinku Sankatmochan” (the crisis man) for his ability to deliver under pressure. The batter smiled at the suggestion and replied, “Rinku is fine.”
“(Should we change your name to Rinku Sankatmochan?) No, Rinku is fine. When I went in to bat, four wickets had already fallen, so I was thinking about how to take the game deep. Since we had lost early wickets, it was about rotating the strike and putting the loose balls away. I’ve liked fielding since childhood-I’m fit and I enjoy it. I wasn’t ready for that catch; I thought he would complete it, but he threw it wide and I managed to hold on,” Rinku said.
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