Rinku Singh’s exceptional fielding in the final overs proved decisive in Kolkata Knight Riders’ thrilling one-run win over Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, a match that reaffirmed the oft-overlooked impact of fielding heroics in T20 cricket. On a dewy Eden Gardens outfield, Rinku turned potential boundaries into game-saving stops and, ultimately, sealed the match with a match-defining throw on the final ball to run out Jofra Archer and deny RR a Super Over.
Though he had a couple of misfields earlier, Rinku’s two full-length diving saves—first in the 19th over against Shubham Dubey, then in the final over off Jofra Archer’s blazing drive—saved four crucial runs. But his last-ball effort, sprinting in from long-off to limit the batters to a single and produce a direct-hit-assisted run-out, was the game’s turning point. With only three needed off one delivery, it was the kind of finish that makes or breaks playoff hopes.
Rinku’s own words summed it up:
“I enjoy my fielding, probably more than my batting.”
He also chipped in with a brisk 19 off 6 balls, including two sixes—showing intent with the bat.
While Rinku shone in the field, Andre Russell stole the show with the bat, blasting an unbeaten 57 off 25 deliveries. Coming in during the 13th over, Russell paced his innings expertly before exploding at the death, with six sixes and four fours. His quote about targeting the final 30 balls and aiming to dominate at least 15 of them speaks to his calculated approach to power-hitting.
With 11 points from 11 games, KKR has climbed back into playoff contention, setting up a crucial face-off with Chennai Super Kings on May 7 at Eden Gardens.
