At a glance
- Rinku Singh fifty guides Kolkata Knight Riders to four wicket win over Rajasthan Royals
- Narine and Varun Chakravarthy spin masterclass turns match in KKR favour
- Anukul Roy late cameo seals successful chase in IPL 2026 thriller
Kolkata Knight Riders finally opened their account in IPL 2026 with a hard-fought four-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals, leaning on spin mastery and late-order composure to get over the line in a tense chase.
Kolkata Knight Riders 161 for 6 (Rinku 53, Roy 29, Jadeja 2-8) beat Rajasthan Royals 155 for 9 (Sooryavanshi 46, Jaiswal 39, Varun 3-14, Tyagi 3-22) by four wickets. View the full scorecard here.
Rinku and Roy script the finish
When the chase threatened to slip away, Rinku Singh stepped up with authority. Dropped early in his innings, he made Rajasthan pay in full, finishing unbeaten on 53 and sealing the result with a towering six that also brought up his half-century.
Alongside him, Anukul Roy produced a vital cameo that shifted momentum decisively. His brisk 29 from just 16 deliveries came at a time when the required rate had climbed beyond two runs per ball, turning a tricky equation into a manageable one. The pair supplied the calm and clarity that Kolkata’s top order had lacked earlier in the evening.
Spin twins turn the tide
Earlier, it was the familiar spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy who dragged Kolkata back into the contest. On a surface that rewarded patience and control, the pair combined for five wickets while conceding just 40 runs across eight overs.
Rajasthan had looked comfortable at 81 for 0, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal carefully navigating the challenging conditions. But once the spinners took hold, the innings unravelled quickly.
Chakravarthy broke through first, tempting Sooryavanshi into a mistimed stroke, before Narine varied his pace cleverly to dismiss Jaiswal. The pressure built relentlessly, and wickets followed in clusters as Rajasthan struggled to regain fluency.
Late burst denied Royals momentum
Just when Rajasthan appeared poised for a late surge, Kartik Tyagi delivered a decisive blow. His superb 19th over yielded three wickets and halted any hopes of a strong finish, restricting Rajasthan to 155 for 9.
That total, while competitive on a sluggish pitch, always felt slightly under par given their strong start.
Royals strike early but miss their moment
Rajasthan’s defence began with real intent. Jofra Archer struck with the very first ball, continuing his remarkable streak, while Ravindra Jadeja tightened the screws with a miserly spell that returned 2 for 8.
A moment that could have defined the match came when Rinku, then on 8, was offered a straightforward chance. The drop proved costly. From there, Kolkata slowly rebuilt, absorbing pressure before launching their decisive assault in the closing overs.
Rajasthan’s spinners had kept the game under control for long periods, but a single expensive over shifted the balance. From that point, Kolkata seized control and never looked back.
A win built on patience and nerve
This was not a flawless performance from Kolkata, but it was a significant one. Their experienced spinners laid the groundwork, and their lower order showed resilience under pressure.
For Rajasthan, the defeat will sting. They read the conditions well for much of the contest, yet one lapse in the field and a brief loss of control with the ball proved enough to undo their efforts.
Kolkata, meanwhile, will take confidence from a victory that showcased both their depth and their ability to respond when it mattered most.
Stay up to date with all the latest ipl content with ReadCricket
