Tata IPL 2023 | Rinku Singh hits 5 sixes off last 5 balls as KKR beat Gujarat Titans

Kolkata Knight Riders batter Rinku Singh hit Yash Dayal for five sixes off the last five balls to give his team a three-wicket win against Gujarat Titans on April 9 in one of the most extraordinary finishes in the history of the Indian Premier League. (Image: AFP)

Singh’s 48 not out of 21 deliveries lifted Kolkata to 207-7 with left-arm quick Dayal finishing with 0-69 in four overs. Vijay Shankar had powered Gujarat to a strong 204-4 with 63 not out of only 24 balls after stand-in captain Rashid Khan won the toss and chose to bat first in front of home fans. (Image: AP)

Rashid, who led the side in the absence of unwell regular skipper Hardik Pandya, had nearly sealed the game with a hat trick in his last over that left Kolkata needing 29 off the final over. (Image: AP)

Umesh Yadav gave the strike back to Singh with a single off the first ball and Singh then clubbed five big hits against Dayal’s wayward lengths that included two sixes off low full tosses. (Image: AP)

“A tough game for us, especially as a captain,” Rashid said. “Rinku played some unbelievable shots. He (Dayal) tried his best deliveries but it did not work, credit goes to the batter the way he finished.” (Image: AP)

Kolkata’s Venkatesh Iyer (83) and skipper Nitish Rana (45) combined in a century stand before Alzarri Joseph (2-27) dismissed both batters. (Image: AP)

Rashid then recorded the first hat trick in this season’s IPL by removing Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Shardul Thakur before Singh snatched the game with his brilliant hitting. (Image: AP)

Earlier, Gujarat’s Sai Sudharsan (53) continued to impress at No. 3 after Kane Williamson was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury in the first game. (Image: AP)

Sudharsan scored his second successive half century and built a solid platform for a big total by adding 67 runs with Shubman Gill (39). Narine was the pick of Kolkata’s bowlers with 3-33 before Shankar’s late blitz. (Image: AP)

Kolkata is second with two wins from three games while Gujarat also has four points but is fourth on net run-rate. (Image: AFP)