Arshdeep Singh was dropped after Rinku Singh took KKR home off the last ball
Punjab Kings bowler Arshdeep Singh looked inconsolable after failing to defend six runs in the final over
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) registered a stunning win against Punjab Kings on Monday night, with Rinku Singh once again emerging as the hero. Chasing 180, Knight needed 2 off the last ball and Rinku was on strike. It was up to Arshdeep how he would defend those two runs to get maximum points on the table. But the southpaw bowled a full toss which Rinku flicked for a boundary. KKR players jumped from their seats in the dugout and so did the local supporters in the stands. Amidst the celebration, there was one man who was completely sad and heartbroken – Arshdeep Singh.
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The sharp left hand fell down in despair and tears welled up in his eyes. He was inconsolable after failing to defend six runs in the final over. He started with a dot ball and conceded only four runs before Russell was run out by Jitesh Sharma on the fifth ball. But he failed to hit the right area in the sixth and it was all trouble for the Punjab Kings.
Meanwhile, Andre Russell played a brilliant inning under pressure. He praised his partner Rinku who returned unbeaten after scoring 21 runs in just 10 balls. Russell was back to his old self when he earned the tag – Muscle Russell. He went ballistic against Sam Curran in 19th over, hitting three sixes in four balls in a 20-run over to change the equation in KKR’s favour, who needed a six in the last over. He scored 42 runs in 23 balls with the help of 3 sixes and as many fours.
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It was also a day when KKR skipper Nitish Rana led the chase from the front. Came out to bat at no. 3, The Delhi boy hit a six and 6 fours to bring up his half-century against Punjab. He scored a crucial half-century with Venkatesh Iyer (11) before Andre Russell and Rinku Singh sealed the case.
Their second consecutive win saw KKR overtake Royal Challengers Bangalore to break into the top five in terms of net run rate as five teams crowd the mid-table for the playoffs with 10 points each.
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