It’s unreal to accept that one can score 29 runs in the final over when the chips are down but not for Rinku Singh as he smashed five straight sixes to pull off one of the most memorable victories in the glorious history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The jaw-dropping moment took place in the clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Gujarat Titans (GT) at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday when Rashid Khan, the stand-in skipper of GT, had just taken a hat-trick to pull things back into his side.
The victory was looking far ahead for the touring party as the equation was down to 29 needed on six balls with only three wickets in hand. It could’ve been an easy task for Yash Dayal, who is not new to the cash-rich league thrillers. But the left-armer had no clue as to what Rinku was thinking.
After Umesh Yadav took a single on the first ball, Rinku activated his beast mode and slammed back-to-back five sixes to seal the deal for the Knight Riders. He stormed straightaway towards the dugout in celebration but was stopped halfway by his skipper, who was all over him as the celebrations began.
Earlier, Sai Sudharsan and Vijay Shankar powered the Titans to a massive total of 204/4 after Rashid won the toss and elected to bat. While Sudharsan smashed 38-ball 53, Shankar scored an unbeaten 63 from 24 deliveries, including 4 fours and 5 sixes.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
Rinku. Rinku. Rinku Singh!!!#IPL2023
— Mpumelelo Mbangwa (@mmbangwa) April 9, 2023
RINKU 👏 👏 👏
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) April 9, 2023
Rinkuuuuuuuuuu 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/6u3bBm6d37
— Shreyas Iyer (@ShreyasIyer15) April 9, 2023
Rinku Singh ✅✅💕
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) April 9, 2023
All hail Lord Rinku Singh. 5 sixes in 5 balls in the last over of a run chase. One of the best last over hitting in a chase that you would ever see. #KKRvGT
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 9, 2023
SUPER STAR RINKU SINGH ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ @KKRiders 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 9, 2023
Unbelievable hitting from Rinku Singh. 6 6 6 6 6 4 6 from his last seven balls. #IPL has witnessed one of the most dramatic finishes ever. @KKRiders
— Yusuf Pathan (@iamyusufpathan) April 9, 2023
The most dramatic finish in the history of IPL. 29 chased down of the last over. Great skills shown by Rinku Singh. #KKRvsGT
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) April 9, 2023
It’s unreal! Very well played Rinku 👏👏 #KKRvsGT #IPL2023
— Vinay Kumar R (@Vinay_Kumar_R) April 9, 2023
6 to win the match – Dhoni
6, 6 to win the match – Tewatia
6, 6, 6 , 6, 6 to win the match – ONLY RINKU SINGH!— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 9, 2023
How about that!!! @rinkusingh235 you beauty!!! That was just mental!! What a finish!! #korbolorbojeetbo #kkr #kkrvsgt #IPL2023
— Robin Aiyuda Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) April 9, 2023
Oh my god! Rinkua ke pappa hihi has deli #IPL
— cricBC (@cricBC) April 9, 2023
Rinku Singh seals the deal for Kolkata Knight Riders 💜#cricket #IPL2023 #IPL #GTvKKR #ipl #IPLT20 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/EONRvX5pE6
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) April 9, 2023
What an unbelievable game of cricket by @KKRiders
Needed 29 runs off the last over & enter @rinkusingh235
1️⃣6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣ 💥— @BrettLee_58 (@BrettLee_58) April 9, 2023
everyone to rinku singh today 🥹 pic.twitter.com/CEcaUWQVWN
— prime video IN (@PrimeVideoIN) April 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/gujarat_titans/status/1645061968070586368
@rashidkhan_19 delivers once again in the big overs, hat-trick this time! #GTvKKR #genius
— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) April 9, 2023
Rinku bhai, what have you done!!! 🔥🔥🔥
— KSR (@KShriniwasRao) April 9, 2023
What a game ! #KKRvsGT ! What a game ! What a game ! What a game ! #IPL2023
— Ridhima Pathak (@PathakRidhima) April 9, 2023
6, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 in the last 7 balls by Rinku Singh
When KKR needed 39 runs from 8 balls. pic.twitter.com/K1Ml26F5dK
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 9, 2023
KKR might be the 1st team to concede 2 hat-tricks on the same venue. 1st one was taken by Tambe in 2014.
— Prithvi (@Puneite_) April 9, 2023
Highest target achieved in last over off an inngs in IPL
29 runs KKR vs GT Ahmedabad 2023
23 runs RPS vs PBKS Vizag 2016
22 runs GT vs SRH Mumbai WS 2022— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) April 9, 2023
KKR needed 39 off 8 balls to win.
Rinku Singh played 7 balls.
Scores 6 4 6 6 6 6 6. #IPL2023 #KKRvsGT
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) April 9, 2023
If you can hit 5 brilliantly executed sixes when your team needs 29 runs to win from the final over and to top it up, you make Chandrakant Pandit excited….. you’ve surely done something very very special.
Take A Bow, @rinkusingh235 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lomTKNZ1v4
— North Stand Gang – Wankhede (@NorthStandGang) April 9, 2023
They'll call it "Doing a Rinku"
🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 9, 2023
29 runs chased off the last over with Rinku Singh hitting 5 sixes in a row. Crazy finish. IPL madness.
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) April 9, 2023
All that emotion on Chandrakant Pandit’s face as he hugged Rinku Singh repeatedly perfectly complemented Rinku Singh’s lack of emotion while he was pulling off one of the IPL’s greatest ever heists. Incredible finish #IPL2023
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) April 9, 2023