The atmosphere at Eden Gardens was nothing short of electric on the evening of Sunday, as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) hosted the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 28th match of the IPL 2026 season. In a contest that swung like a pendulum, KKR snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, winning by 4 wickets with just 2 balls to spare. While the bowlers set the stage, it was the ice-cold composure of Rinku Singh and the explosive cameo from Anukul Roy that sent the Kolkata faithful into a frenzy.
Disciplined KKR halts RR to a modest total in first innings
Winning the toss and opting to bowl, Ajinkya Rahane’s KKR faced an early onslaught from the RR openers. Young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi looked dangerous, smashing 46 off 28 balls, including four boundaries and two towering sixes. Alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal (39 off 29), RR raced to 63/0 in the Powerplay. At 81/0 in the 9th over, a total north of 190 seemed inevitable.
However, the introduction of KKR’s “Spin Twins” completely throttled the scoring rate. Varun Chakravarthy produced a masterclass in mystery bowling, finishing with staggering figures of 3/14 in 4 overs. He triggered a collapse by dismissing Suryavanshi and the dangerous Dhruv Jurel in quick succession.
Sunil Narine provided the perfect cushion from the other end, picking up 2/26. RR’s middle order crumbled under the pressure of dot balls; Riyan Parag (12) and Shimron Hetmyer (15) failed to find the fence. Kartik Tyagi cleaned up the tail with a three-wicket haul in the death overs. From a position of absolute strength, Rajasthan was restricted to a modest 155/9, managing only 55 runs in the final 10 overs.
Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy power KKR to a thrilling win againsT RR in IPL 2026
The chase began in disastrous fashion for the Men in Purple. Jofra Archer dismissed Tim Seifert for a golden duck on the very first ball, and skipper Rahane followed shortly after for a duck. When Ravindra Jadeja trapped Angkrish Raghuvanshi (10) and Rovman Powell (23) in his web, finishing with 2/8, KKR found themselves reeling at 85/6 in 13.3 overs.
With 71 runs required off the final 39 balls and only the bowlers left to follow, the Rajasthan Royals looked like certain favorites. But Rinku Singh, the designated finisher of this generation, had other plans. Rinku anchored the innings with a sublime 53 off 34 balls, hitting 5 fours and 2 sixes.
The turning point was the 7th-wicket partnership between Rinku and Anukul Roy. Playing the role of the aggressor, Anukul played a cameo for the ages, blasting 29 off just 16 deliveries. The pair put on an unbeaten 76-run stand in record time. Needing 6 runs off the final over, Rinku displayed his trademark calm, nudging Brijesh Sharma through the gaps to seal the win at 161/6.
Also WATCH: Ramandeep Singh grabs a sensational catch to remove Vaibhav Suryavanshi during KKR vs RR match
Here’s how fans reacted:
First win atlast !!!! What a perfomance by Rinku Singh and Anukul !! Pure class and sensible batting.way to go .@IPL @KKRiders #iplclicks #ipl2026schedule #kkrvsrr
— Shubham (@Shubham62613585) April 19, 2026
🚨 HALF CENTURY 🚨
Rinku Singh finishes it in style 💥🔥
9 needed in the last over…
4️⃣, 4️⃣, dot, 6️⃣ — DONE! 🚀Brings up his fifty with the winning shot: 53 (34)* 💪
A clutch knock vs RR powering KKR towards their first win of IPL 2026 🏏💥#RinkuSIngh #ipl2026 #KKRvRR pic.twitter.com/kpf1Ly2mqA
— Cricket Addiction (@CricketAdd1ct) April 19, 2026
WHAT A COMEBACK BY RINKU SINGH:
Before the match his bat was silent and was not in the form but today when got a chance scored 53*(33). pic.twitter.com/d90Ix3Arqj
— Tejas Agarwal (@tejasagarwal197) April 19, 2026
Rinku Singh finally come to the party. Brilliant batting by him. Anukul Roy’s shot vs Jofra against near perfect Yorker was top class.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 19, 2026
Today I said Rinku Singh would do something big, and he did.
Rinku Singh scored his first fifty today.Kolkata Knight Riders’ first win today.#KKRvsRR pic.twitter.com/kITDNZW5DG
— Drx.Gulzar’s Diary.🏔️🌿 (@drx_gulzar) April 19, 2026
Uff finally and sorry for the gaali galoch…. @KKRiders
Special Thanks for Varun Chakravarty, Sunil Narine, Kartik Tyagi, Rinku Singh & Anukol Roy… And Sorry I’ve doubted you guys 😐☹️#KKRvsRR pic.twitter.com/rQnBAtoh5G
— Name (@iName055) April 19, 2026
FIRST WIN FOR Kolkata Knight Riders 🔥💜
The wait is finally over 👏
Rinku Singh & Anukul Roy the heroes tonight 💥#KKRvsRR #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/YfhLQTx88U— Himanshi Budhwar (@Himansh27730) April 19, 2026
UFFFFFF. Finally RICH Rinku Singh ne KKR ko match jetwa dia. The Worst losing streak of 8 matches stays wd Mumbai Indians. Izzat bach gai. We are Back Purple Force 💜🤩 pic.twitter.com/jRzoVIddK8
— Waqar Ahmed Afridi (@RealWaqarAfridi) April 19, 2026
FIRST VICTORY FOR KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS IN IPL 2026 🔥💜
Wait over for KKR fans! 🙌
Rinku Singh & Anukul Roy the heroes ⭐🔥
KKR finally on the board 🚀#KKRvsRR #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/abwhI1FjAz
— Cricholic (@Cricholic340626) April 19, 2026
Rinku Singh – 53*(34).
Ankul Roy – 29*(16).WHAT A FINISH BY THESE TWO, THEY HAVE WON THE MATCH FOR KKR. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/0wcC5KSLjp
— Nafees (@Nafees_22) April 19, 2026
First win of the season for KKR ⚡#Cricket #KKRvsRR #KKR #IPL2026 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/rw5BHa2Rsi
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) April 19, 2026
Also WATCH: Jofra Archer rattles Tim Seifert’s stumps on a golden duck with an absolute jaffa during KKR vs RR showdown
