In what can be described as one of the greatest comebacks in IPL history, the Kolkata Knight Riders snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Gujarat Titans with five balls left in the final over. With 28 runs still needed to win, the game looked all but over for Kolkata, especially after Rashid Khan took a hat-trick to overturn the game in Gujarat's favor. But Rinku Singh had other plans as he smashed five consecutive sixes in the last five balls of Yash Dayal's final over to complete an incredible victory for Kolkata.
The match started with Gujarat Titans posting a mammoth total of 204/4 in 20 overs, thanks to fifties from B Sai Sudharsan and Vijay Shankar. In response, Kolkata got off to a solid start with Venkatesh Iyer smashing 83 off just 40 balls and sharing a 100-run partnership off 55 balls with captain Nitish Rana. But Rashid Khan's hat-trick in the 17th over turned the game on its head, leaving Kolkata with an almost impossible task to complete.
However, Rinku Singh had other plans as he played an unbeaten knock of 48, including a remarkable six-hitting spree in the final over to complete the greatest heist in IPL history. His incredible hitting saw Kolkata win the match by three wickets in what will surely go down as one of the most memorable games in IPL history.
Earlier in the game, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and N. Jagadeesan were dismissed early by Josh Little and Mohammed Shami respectively. However, Venkatesh Iyer came in as an impact player for Suyash Sharma and smashed every shot from his bat, executing perfectly placed shots off every bowler. Even after the field restrictions were lifted, Iyer continued to dominate the bowling attack, hitting boundaries at will.
Despite Rashid Khan's sensational hat-trick in the 17th over, Rinku Singh's heroics in the final over will be remembered for a long time to come. With this incredible victory, Kolkata Knight Riders have once again shown that in T20 cricket, anything is possible.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Titans 204/4 in 20 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 53, Vijay Shankar 63 not out; Sunil Narine 3-33, Suyash Sharma 1-35) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 207/7 in 20 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 83, Rinku Singh 48 not out; Rashid Khan 3-37, Alzarri Joseph 2-27) by three wickets