Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Lucknow Super Giants at 155 before winning the Super Over in a dramatic Indian Premier League contest on Sunday, with Rinku Singh producing the standout innings of the match in a sparkling 83 off 51 balls. In Match 38 of 70, KKR held their nerve after Lucknow matched their total exactly across 20 overs.
The result extended the league phase narrative rather than deciding anything outright, but it could prove a significant swing in a tightly packed IPL season that had already seen Gujarat Titans win Match 37 earlier in the day. With plenty still to come in the tournament, the next fixture is Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday, April 27.
KKR recover through Rinku after early blows
Kolkata Knight Riders never had an easy ride in their 155/7. Tim Seifert fell for 0 from 3 balls, Ajinkya Rahane made 10 from 15, and Angkrish Raghuvanshi managed 9 from 8 as Lucknow kept chipping away. When Rovman Powell also departed for 1, KKR were in danger of letting the innings drift badly.
That was when Rinku took charge. His 83 from 51 balls, featuring 7 fours and 5 sixes, gave the innings its shape and late momentum. Cameron Green had earlier provided much-needed impetus with 34 off 21, striking 3 sixes, and the pair ensured KKR could recover from a stuttering start. Even though wickets continued to fall around him, Rinku kept the scoreboard moving at a strike rate of 162.7 and pushed Kolkata to a total that ultimately proved just enough to force the tie.
Lucknow’s standout bowler was Mohammed Shami? No — it was Mohsin Khan who ripped through the middle order with outstanding figures of 5/23 from his 4 overs. He was comfortably the most incisive bowler on either side in the regulation match, while George Linde supported with 1/18 in 2 overs. Prince Yadav conceded 24 from 4, Mohammed Shami 34 from 4, Digvesh Rathi 46 from 4, and Aiden Markram kept things tidy with 0/9 from 2.
Lucknow’s chase ebbed and flowed
In reply, Lucknow Super Giants were never fully in command, but they stayed close enough throughout to drag the match to the brink. Aiden Markram made 31 from 27 and Rishabh Pant anchored much of the chase with 42 from 38, hitting 4 fours and a six. Yet the asking rate was never entirely under control, especially as Mitchell Marsh fell for 2 from 3 and Nicholas Pooran could only manage 9 from 12.
Ayush Badoni’s 24 from 19 injected life into the chase, and the finishing charge nearly carried LSG over the line. Himmat Singh struck 19 from just 10 balls, George Linde made 8 from 4, and Mohammed Shami blasted 11 from 6 to leave the contest on a knife-edge. But Lucknow closed on 155/8, exactly level with KKR.
Kolkata’s bowlers contributed in bursts rather than through one dominant spell. Vaibhav Arora finished with 2/24 from 4 overs, Varun Chakravarthy took 2/33 from 4, Sunil Narine returned 1/23 from 4, Cameron Green claimed 1/12 from 2, Anukul Roy picked up 1/19 from 2, and Kartik Tyagi had 1/41 from 4. The key for KKR was that wickets arrived often enough to interrupt partnerships before Lucknow could fully seize the chase.
Match-turning moments
The first major swing came when Mohsin Khan’s five-wicket haul prevented Kolkata from turning Rinku Singh’s brilliance into a bigger total. On a surface where one clean over at the death could have taken KKR beyond reach, Lucknow kept them to 155.
The second came in the chase when Pant and Markram, despite getting starts, could not convert into a defining stand. Badoni, Himmat Singh and Shami revived the pursuit late, but Kolkata’s mix of wickets and control across the middle overs kept the target manageable.
And then came the final twist: Lucknow drew level, only for Kolkata Knight Riders to emerge on top in the Super Over to seal one of the season’s most dramatic finishes.
Key performers
- Rinku Singh (KKR): 83 off 51 balls, 7 fours and 5 sixes
- Mohsin Khan (LSG): 5/23 in 4 overs
- Rishabh Pant (LSG): 42 off 38 balls
- Cameron Green (KKR): 34 off 21 balls and 1/12 in 2 overs
- Vaibhav Arora (KKR): 2/24 in 4 overs
- Varun Chakravarthy (KKR): 2/33 in 4 overs
NerdSports Stat: Rinku Singh scored 53.5% of KKR’s 155 runs, while no Lucknow batter reached even 30% of LSG’s chase total — a huge single-innings carrying job in a match that still needed a Super Over to separate the sides.
From a broader tournament perspective, this was another reminder of how little separates teams in the 2026 IPL. Match 38 followed a run of varied results across the league, including big wins, last-over chases and even a no result, and this tie added another layer to an already unpredictable table. With Delhi Capitals set to meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru next, the schedule continues to come thick and fast as teams push toward the business end of the league phase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kolkata Knight Riders won the match after it was tied, beating Lucknow Super Giants in the Super Over.
Rinku Singh was named Player of the Match for his 83 off 51 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders.
This was Match 38 of 70 in the Indian Premier League league phase, so the result extends the tournament race rather than deciding it, with more matches still to come.
Rinku Singh top-scored with 83 off 51 balls.
The next match in the series is Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday, April 27.
