Sunil Narine and Rinku Singh (Image Agency) Kolkata Knight Riders won a nerve-wracking Super Over against Lucknow Super Giants after the two teams were tied for 155 at regular time in Lucknow on Sunday.The contest swung wildly over 40 overs, but Sunil Narine once again emerged as KKR’s credible match-winner at the crucial moment. Narine bowled a Super Over and produced a near-perfect over under immense pressure as he removed Nicholas Pooran off the very first ball as he missed runs against a tossed off-break that hit the stumps.
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“We didn’t play good cricket” – Mahela Jayawardene after MI’s biggest IPL loss vs CSKThe pressure only intensified from there. Rishabh Pant managed to get out but Narine struck again soon after, dismissing Aiden Markram. Markram tried to cross the infield but mistimed it completely and a brilliant relay effort near the boundary saw Rovman Powell flick the ball back into the air before crossing the rope, allowing Rinku Singh to complete a crisp catch.LSG were left with a shock 1 for 2 in the Super Over, the lowest ever score recorded in the history of the IPL Super Over.After just two runs, Rinku Singh departed and finished the game immediately, driving Prince Yadav’s first delivery for a boundary. It was a fitting end to a complete all-round performance from Rink, who earlier smashed an unbeaten 83 off 51 balls and also took four catches in the field.KKR’s innings was earlier saved by Rinku after Mohsin Khan produced a sensational spell of 5 for 23. The left-arm pacer tore through the top order, dismissing Ajinkya Rahane, Tim Seifert, Cameron Green, Rovman Powell and Anukul Roy. His variations on the slow black ground left KKR struggling in several phases.Despite the collapse, Rinku’s late knock, including a brutal final over, lifted KKR to a fighting 155 for 7. His innings featured clean strokes against both pace and spin, helping them recover from a precarious position.LSG’s chase also had moments of control. Rishabh Pant (42) and Aiden Markram (31) rebuilt after the early loss of Mitchell Marsh to add 57 for the second wicket. However, both fell at crucial moments, with Pant misfiring against Narine while Markram was undone by the defeat of Cameron Green.From there, LSG’s innings lost direction, although a late resistance from the home batsmen kept them alive briefly. The final over brought chaos as Kartik Tyagi conceded 16 runs and bowled two no-balls, including a waist delivery that was not deemed dangerous, allowing him to continue. Mohammed Shami then hit a last-ball six to force a Super Over.The match also sparked controversy when, after a review, Angkrish Raghuvanshi was controversially dismissed for obstructing the field and changed his running line while diving to create a crease at the third umpire’s decision.In the end, KKR held their nerve in the Super Over thanks to the brilliance of Narine and Rinku to move up to eighth in the table, while LSG slipped to the bottom after another narrow defeat in a season full of missed opportunities.
