KKR's Singh hits fives sixes from last five balls to win epic IPL thriller 

Kolkata Knight Riders' players celebrate their win at the end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on April 9, 2023. (Photo courtesy: AFP)
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Updated 09 April 2023
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KKR's Singh hits fives sixes from last five balls to win epic IPL thriller 

  • Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rinku Singh hits Yash Dayal for five sixes off the last five balls
  • Gujarat Titans' skipper Rashid Khan nearly won the game for his side after a hattrick

AHMEDABAD, India: Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rinku Singh hit Yash Dayal for five sixes off the last five balls to give his team a three-wicket win against Gujarat Titans on Sunday in one of the most extraordinary finishes in the history of the Indian Premier League.

Singh’s 48 not out off 21 deliveries lifted Kolkata to 207-7 with left-arm quick Dayal finishing with 0-69 in four overs. Vijay Shankar had powered Gujarat to a strong 204-4 with 63 not out off only 24 balls after stand-in captain Rashid Khan won the toss and chose to bat first in front of home fans.

Rashid, who led the side in the absence of unwell regular skipper Hardik Pandya, had nearly sealed the game with a hat trick in his last over that left Kolkata needing 29 off the final over.

Umesh Yadav gave the strike back to Singh with a single off the first ball and Singh then clubbed five big hits against Dayal’s wayward lengths that included two sixes off low full tosses.

“A tough game for us, especially as a captain,” Rashid said. “Rinku played some unbelievable shots. He (Dayal) tried his best deliveries but it did not work, credit goes to the batter the way he finished.”

Kolkata’s Venkatesh Iyer (83) and skipper Nitish Rana (45) combined in a century stand before Alzarri Joseph (2-27) dismissed both batters.

Rashid then recorded the first hat trick in this season’s IPL by removing Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Shardul Thakur before Singh snatched the game with his brilliant hitting.

Earlier, Gujarat’s Sai Sudharsan (53) continued to impress at No. 3 after Kane Williamson was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury in the first game.

Sudharsan scored his second successive half century and built a solid platform for a big total by adding 67 runs with Shubman Gill (39). Narine was the pick of Kolkata's bowlers with 3-33 before Shankar’s late blitz.

Kolkata is second with two wins from three games while Gujarat also has four points but is fourth on net run-rate


Pakistan bowl out Netherlands for 147 in T20 World Cup opener

Updated 07 February 2026
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Pakistan bowl out Netherlands for 147 in T20 World Cup opener

  • The Dutch looked to be in a good position at 127-4 with four overs to go
  • But Pakistan applied the brakes with the slow men sharing six wickets between them

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s spinners turned the screws to bowl Netherlands out for 147 in the first match of the T20 World Cup at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club on Saturday.
The Dutch looked to be in a good position at 127-4 with four overs to go, but Pakistan applied the brakes with the slow men sharing six wickets between them.
Captain Scott Edwards anchored the innings with a polished 37 off 29 balls, but perished when he tried to take the aerial route against leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Part-time spinner Saim Ayub then struck twice in the 17th over before left-arm quick Salman Mirza’s three-wicket burst dismissed the Dutch with one ball to spare.
Pakistan, who won the toss and chose to bowl, conceded just 20 runs in the final four overs backed up by a razor sharp performance in the field with several outstanding catches in the deep.
Pakistan cannot afford any slip-ups in the group stage after saying they will not play against India on February 15 on government instructions and forfeiting the points in Group A.
Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka in the 20-team tournament co-hosted by Sri Lanka and defending champions India.