IPL 2023 KKR vs PBKS - Russell, Rinku & Rana shine as Kolkata clinch final ball thriller

Put a run-chase and Rinku Singh into the mix, what do you get? An innings to remember.

Monday night was no different.

Playing at home, Kolkata Knight Riders made sure to put up an unforgettable show. The hosts were chasing 180 and it was captain Nitish Rana who top-scored for them with a watchful knock of 51 off 38 balls.

Opener and impact player Jason Roy had earlier contributed fairly with a 24-ball-38. But when the skipper departed after completing his half-century, he passed on the baton to Russell & Rinku, for the game was still in balance.

The Caribbean all-rounder went full throttle on PBKS bowlers. In his short stint at the crease, Russell hit 3 sixes and as many fours, scoring a 23-ball 42 before he sacrificed his wicket to try and take a quick run on the penultimate ball.

Russell was supported by KKR’s hero Rinku Singh, who finished with an unbeaten 21 off just 10 balls.

With 2 runs needed off the final ball, in traditional Rinku fashion, he hit a boundary to give KKR an all-important win.

Earlier, it was Varun Chakaravarthy who rattled Punjab batters with his spin to scalp 3 wickets, an innings where Shikhar Dhawan's fifty and late cameos from Shahrukh Khan & Harpreet Brar saw them reach 179 at the end.

Also Watch: IPL 2023 points table: A scintillating win over Punjab takes Kolkata to 5th position