Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a Super Over after the two teams were tied for 155 in the regulation 20 overs. The thrilling IPL 2026 encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday (April 26) saw dramatic drama from start to finish, with Rinku Singh emerging as the undisputed hero.
Toss and early collapse of KKR
Lucknow Super Giants won the toss and opted to field first under the lights, hoping to capitalize on any early movement. Their decision looked spot on as pacer Mohsin Khan tore through KKR’s top order with a sensational five-wicket haul of 5/23 in four overs. KKR slumped to 31/4 in just the sixth over, with Tim Seifert, Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (dismissed for obstructing the field) and Rovman Powell quickly returning to the pavilion. The home crowd sensed defeat, but one man had other ideas.
Rinku Singh’s rescue mission
Rinku Singh delivered a match defining innings. Unbeaten on 83 off just 51 balls (7 fours and 5 sixes), he struck up crucial partnerships, particularly with Cameron Green (34 off 21). His fearless stroke play turned a potential collapse into a fighting total of 155/7. Rinku also shone in the field with four stunning catches, including key clearances in an LSG chase. His all-round brilliance earned him the Player of the Match award and kept KKR alive in the competition.
LSG’s chase ends in a tie
Chasing 156, LSG started steadily but lost wickets at regular intervals. Rishabh Pant top-scored with 42 off 38 balls while Aiden Markram chipped in with 31 off 27. Ayush Badoni (24) and Himmat Singh (19) added late impetus, but the middle order struggled with the spin of Varun Chakravarthy (2/33) and Vaibhav Arora’ (2/24) variations. With 7 runs needed off the last ball, Mohammed Shami smashed a six to level the score at 155/8. The stadium erupted as the match headed into the first Super Over of IPL 2026.
Super Over drama hands KKR victory
In the Super Over, LSG sent in Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram to open but Sunil Narine struck twice in 0.3 overs, dismissing both for ducks and restricting LSG to just 1 run for 2 wickets. Rinku Singh then departed for KKR and sealed the deal in style, slicing the first ball from Prince Yadav for four. KKR made it 4 for 0 in 0.1 overs, comfortably winning the Super Over and picking up two crucial points.
What this means for both teams
The thriller highlighted Rinku Singh’s finishing skills and Mohsin Khan’s excellent bowling while exposing the fragility of the batting on both sides. With this vital win, KKR climbed to the eighth position in the points table, while LSG dropped to the 10th position.
