22 May,2023 09:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Arup Chatterjee
KKR’s Rinku Singh during his unbeaten 67 against LSG at the Eden Gardens on Saturday. Pic/AFP
The collective sigh of relief in the visitors' camp was palpable, not the least because it came after an unsettling scare. Lucknow Super Giants beat Kolkata Knight Riders by just one run on Saturday to book a berth in the Playoffs but not before Rinku Singh had threatened to upset the applecart with his now-familiar flair.
The battle between KKR and LSG in front of a wildly cheering 50,000 at the Eden Gardens turned out to be essentially a tale of two innings that were similar and contrasting in equal measure. Nicholas Pooran dragged LSG out of a hole to help them post a challenging 176 for eight before Rinku resurrected KKR's dying hopes towards the end of the contest and was just two runs short of the target when the overs ran out.
"Pooran's been sensational for us; he made the difference today, didn't he," gushed Andy Flower at the post-match press conference. "He's getting greater clarity on his game each time I see him. Today was a wonderful mix of boundary hitting and rotating the strike," LSG head coach said of the West Indian's 30-ball 58.
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Flower was equally effusive of Rinku's effort, an unbeaten 67 that came off 33 balls and had four sixes and six boundaries. "We were in a really good situation. But if they had won it from there it would have been genuinely astounding. Rinku played out of his skin again to get them that close. He's really hungry for success and humble at the same time; he's confident in what he can do. [It's] a really good package that," Flower said.
Unlike Pooran, also a left-hander, Rinku's was a gradual build-up as he took the game to the dramatic final over. It had come down to 18 off the last three deliveries, and the belief born out of that incredible five-six finish against Gujarat Titans a month ago engulfed Eden.
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"Yes, those five sixes in a row did come to mind but today I missed that one ball. It went for a four," rued Rinku. He acknowledged his new status without going overboard. "Life's changed. Last year, people came to know about me for my cameos, but after hitting those five sixes, I'm getting a lot of respect. I'm happy but not overjoyed. After all, we couldn't make it [to the Playoffs]," he reminded.
