GT vs KKR: Rinku Singh's Five Consecutive Sixes Traumatise Gujarat Titans
Rinku Singh hit five consecutive sixes to win it for KKR [Source: AP]
Riding on Venkatesh Iyer's flamboyant fifty and Rinku Singh's unreal cameo, Kolkata Knight Riders recorded a miraculous three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the 13th group-stage fixture of the IPL 2023 on Sunday. The Knight Riders sustained their winning streak, gaining two crucial points with this victory.
Sudharsan and Shankar stand tall as GT post a massive total
Vijay Shankar slammed a scintillating fifty [Source: AP]
After opting to bat first, Gujarat Titans were off to a steady start, courtesy of a 33-run opening stand between Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill. Sunil Narine drew the first blood for KKR, dismissing Saha for a run-a-ball 17.
However, Gill and Sai Sudharsan stitched a magnificent 67-run stand, setting the tone for a massive score for the home team. After Gill became Narine's second victim, Abhinav Manohar was castled by Suyash Sharma in the 14th over.
But Vijay Shankar emerged as KKR's saviour with the bat, amassing a counterattacking 24-ball 63*. His knock, studded with four boundaries and five sixes, ensured a fitting finish for the visitors, powering them to 204 in 20 overs.
Rinku Singh stuns GT with his mind-boggling knock
In response, KKR had a disastrous start to their innings, with openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Narayan Jagadeesan being dismissed cheaply inside four overs. However, what we witnessed after that was nothing short of sheer carnage.
Impact player Venkatesh Iyer and skipper Nitish Rana stunned the Titans with their breathtaking stroke play. The swashbuckling duo took all GT bowlers to the cleaners, adding valuable 100 runs for the third wicket.
While Rana smashed four boundaries and three sixes for his 29-ball 45, Iyer went berserk, compiling a fabulous 40-ball 83.
Just when the game seemed to be in KKR's grasp, Alzarri Joseph removed Iyer to bring GT back into the contest.
If that was not enough, GT's stand-in skipper Rashid Khan hit the final nail in KKR's coffin by recording the first hat-trick of the season, dismissing Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Shardul Thakur in his final over.
However, Rinku Singh held his nerves and hit five successive sixes in the final over to win the game for KKR. His 21-ball 48*, including a solitary four and six humongous sixes snatched victory for KKR from the jaws of defeat.
Brief Scores
Gujarat Titans: 204/4 (20)
Vijay Shankar 63* (24), B Sai Sudharsan 53 (38);
Sunil Narine 3/33 (4), Suyash Sharma 1/35 (4)
Kolkata Knight Riders: 207/7 (20)
Venkatesh Iyer 83 (40), Rinku Singh 48* (21);
Rashid Khan 3/37 (4), Alzarri Joseph 2/27 (4)
Kolkata Knight Riders won by three wickets.
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