Kolkata Knight Riders successfully chased down 156 to beat Rajasthan Royals by 4 wickets in IPL 2026 Match 28 at Eden Gardens on April 19, 2026. Most importantly, Rinku Singh‘s unbeaten 53 off 34 balls rescued KKR from 85/6, consequently earning them their first win of the season.
In addition, Varun Chakravarthy dominated with the ball, because his 3/14 in 4 overs (economy 3.50) earned him both the Player of the Match and also the Cricinfo MVP award (101.65 points). Furthermore, Kartik Tyagi equally impressed with 3/22 since RR collapsed from 81/0 to 155/9.
Match Summary
| Details | Info |
|---|---|
| RR Score | 155/9 (20 overs) |
| KKR Score | 161/6 (19.4 overs) |
| Result | KKR won by 4 wickets (2 balls remaining) |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Date | April 19, 2026 (Day/Night Match) |
| Best Batter (RR) | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – 46 off 28 balls |
| Best Batter (KKR) | Rinku Singh – 53* off 34 balls |
| Best Bowler (KKR) | Varun Chakravarthy – 3/14 in 4 overs |
| Best Bowler (RR) | Ravindra Jadeja – 2/8 in 3 overs |
| Player of the Match | Varun Chakravarthy (KKR) |
RR Innings: 155/9 in 20 Overs
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi initially gave RR a brilliant start. As a result, the opening pair put on 81 runs in 8.4 overs without losing a single wicket.
Moreover, they raced to 50 in 5.3 overs (33 balls) and subsequently went into the strategic timeout at a comfortable 63/0. Sooryavanshi was particularly the aggressor during this phase.
In fact, he smashed 46 off 28 balls (6 fours, 2 sixes) at a strike rate of 164.28. He also hit boundaries consistently against the pacers and certainly looked set for a much bigger score.
Varun Chakravarthy Sparks the Collapse
However, Varun Chakravarthy completely changed the game once he came into the attack. First, he dismissed Sooryavanshi at 81/1 (8.4 overs), since Ramandeep Singh held on to a sharp catch.
Then, just two overs later, he also stumped Dhruv Jurel (5 off 7) via Seifert, consequently making it 97/2. Meanwhile, Jaiswal fell at 99/3 (11.2 overs) because Rahane took the catch off Sunil Narine.
As a result, RR had slipped from 81/0 to 99/3 in just 16 balls. Similarly, Riyan Parag (12 off 14) also couldn’t accelerate against the spinners. Therefore, Varun bowled him at 117/4 (14.4 overs) to complete his three-wicket haul.
After that, KKR brought in impact sub Angkrish Raghuvanshi for Varun at 14.6 overs, since his spell was already done.
Death Overs Meltdown for RR
The collapse further intensified in the death overs. First, Donovan Ferreira (7 off 7) fell to Narine at 124/5. Then, Shimron Hetmyer (15 off 18) also never found his timing throughout the innings.
Eventually, Kartik Tyagi proved lethal at the death, consequently finishing with 3/22 in 4 overs (economy 5.50). He first dismissed Jadeja (9 off 7) at 144/6, then got Hetmyer at 146/7, and afterwards also removed Ravi Bishnoi (0) at 146/8.
In total, RR therefore lost their last 4 wickets for just 11 runs in the final 2 overs. Besides, Jofra Archer (8 off 5) was also run out on the last ball. Consequently, RR finished at a disappointing 155/9.
RR Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | 46 | 28 | 6 / 2 | 164.28 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 39 | 29 | 4 / 2 | 134.48 |
| Shimron Hetmyer | 15 | 18 | 0 / 0 | 83.33 |
| Riyan Parag (c) | 12 | 14 | 1 / 0 | 85.71 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 9 | 7 | 1 / 0 | 128.57 |
| Jofra Archer | 8 | 5 | 1 / 0 | 160.00 |
KKR Bowling: Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varun Chakravarthy | 4 | 14 | 3 | 3.50 |
| Kartik Tyagi | 4 | 22 | 3 | 5.50 |
| Sunil Narine | 4 | 26 | 2 | 6.50 |
| Vaibhav Arora | 4 | 37 | 0 | 9.25 |
| Ramandeep Singh | 2 | 26 | 0 | 13.00 |
| Cameron Green | 2 | 27 | 0 | 13.50 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-81 (Sooryavanshi, 8.4), 2-97 (Jurel, 10.3), 3-99 (Jaiswal, 11.2), 4-117 (Parag, 14.4), 5-124 (Ferreira, 15.6), 6-144 (Jadeja, 18.1), 7-146 (Hetmyer, 18.3), 8-146 (Bishnoi, 18.5), 9-155 (Archer, 19.6)
KKR Chase: 161/6 in 19.4 Overs
KKR‘s chase started as badly as it possibly could. First, Tim Seifert was bowled by Jofra Archer for a golden duck on the very first ball of the innings.
Then, in the next over, captain Ajinkya Rahane also fell for a duck, because Jurel held the catch off Nandre Burger. As a result, KKR were reeling at 5/2 in just 1.2 overs.
However, Cameron Green immediately counter-attacked with 27 off 13 balls (4 fours, 1 six) at a strike rate of 207.69. His blitz consequently helped KKR race to 50 in 5.4 overs (34 balls).
But despite his aggression, Green eventually fell at 37/3 (4.3 overs), stumped by Jurel off Ravi Bishnoi. After that, RR also brought in impact sub Yash Raj Punja for Sooryavanshi at 4.6 overs.
Middle Order Continues to Struggle
Angkrish Raghuvanshi (10 off 19) meanwhile struggled to rotate strike and then fell lbw to Ravindra Jadeja at 52/4 (6.6 overs). In addition, a DRS review confirmed the on-field decision.
Rovman Powell (23 off 20) initially looked good, since he smashed 2 fours and also a six. However, Jadeja struck again at 70/5 (10.1 overs), because Ferreira took the catch.
At the strategic timeout, KKR were therefore at 63/4 in 9 overs and consequently needed nearly 10 runs per over. After that, Ramandeep Singh (10 off 13) hung around briefly before Yash Raj Punja eventually bowled him at 85/6 (13.3 overs).
At that point, KKR still needed 71 runs off 39 balls with just four wickets in hand. Naturally, the game certainly looked done and dusted.
Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy Pull Off the Impossible
But then came the rescue act that nobody expected. Rinku Singh and Anukul Roy put together an unbroken 76-run partnership off just 38 balls for the 7th wicket, consequently turning the entire match on its head.
Moreover, they brought up their 50-run stand in only 27 balls (Rinku 25, Roy 19). Specifically, Rinku was particularly impressive since he reached his fifty off just 34 balls (5 fours, 2 sixes).
In addition, he anchored every single phase of the chase from 85/6 onwards. Roy (29* off 16) likewise matched his aggression, also hitting 2 sixes during the death overs.
As a result, KKR crossed 150 in 19.1 overs and subsequently sealed the win with 2 balls to spare. Undoubtedly, it was one of the greatest comeback chases of IPL 2026 so far.
KKR Top Performers with the Bat
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s/6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rinku Singh | 53* | 34 | 5 / 2 | 155.88 |
| Anukul Roy | 29* | 16 | 1 / 2 | 181.25 |
| Cameron Green | 27 | 13 | 4 / 1 | 207.69 |
| Rovman Powell | 23 | 20 | 2 / 1 | 115.00 |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi | 10 | 19 | 1 / 0 | 52.63 |
| Ramandeep Singh | 10 | 13 | 1 / 0 | 76.92 |
RR Bowling: Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravindra Jadeja | 3 | 8 | 2 | 2.66 |
| Yash Raj Punja | 4 | 25 | 1 | 6.25 |
| Jofra Archer | 4 | 35 | 1 | 8.75 |
| Nandre Burger | 2 | 20 | 1 | 10.00 |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 4 | 41 | 1 | 10.25 |
| Riyan Parag | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10.00 |
| Brijesh Sharma | 1.4 | 21 | 0 | 12.60 |
Fall of Wickets: 1-0 (Seifert, 0.1), 2-5 (Rahane, 1.2), 3-37 (Green, 4.3), 4-52 (Raghuvanshi, 6.6), 5-70 (Powell, 10.1), 6-85 (Ramandeep, 13.3)
Key Highlights
- Rinku Singh’s 53* was a match-winning masterclass: Although he walked in at 37/3 and was still batting at 85/6, Rinku held his nerve throughout. His unbeaten 53 off 34 (5 fours, 2 sixes) consequently included a game-changing 76-run partnership with Anukul Roy. As a result, KKR’s first win of IPL 2026 was entirely because of his brilliance.
- Varun Chakravarthy’s 3/14 completely strangled RR: With an economy of just 3.50 in 4 overs, he therefore dismissed Sooryavanshi (46), Jurel (5), and also Parag (12). Consequently, this triggered RR’s collapse from 81/0 to 155/9. He also earned both POTM and Cricinfo MVP (101.65 points).
- Kartik Tyagi cleaned up the tail effectively: His 3/22 in 4 overs (economy 5.50) notably included the wickets of Jadeja, Hetmyer, and then Bishnoi. In fact, RR lost their last 4 wickets for just 11 runs in the final 2 overs, mainly because of Tyagi’s excellent death bowling.
- Anukul Roy’s 29* was the unsung knock: Although he came in at 85/6 with 71 still needed off 39 balls, Roy smashed 29 off just 16 balls (1 four, 2 sixes) at SR 181.25. Moreover, his partnership with Rinku was worth 76 off 38 balls, ultimately turning an impossible chase into a comfortable finish.
- Sooryavanshi-Jaiswal’s 81-run opening stand was ultimately wasted: RR were 81/0 in 8.4 overs with the platform set for 180+. Instead, they subsequently lost 9 wickets for 74 runs in the remaining 68 balls. Both the spin duo of Varun and Narine (2/26), along with Tyagi’s pace, consequently choked them.
- KKR’s top order once again collapsed badly: Specifically, Seifert (0), Rahane (0), and Raghuvanshi (10 off 19) together contributed just 10 runs from 22 balls. Obviously, two golden ducks in the first two overs is the kind of start that sends the team WhatsApp group into total silence.
- Impact subs played a key role in this match: First, KKR replaced Varun Chakravarthy with Angkrish Raghuvanshi at 14.6 overs of the RR innings. Then, RR brought in Yash Raj Punja for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at 4.6 overs of the KKR innings. Punja subsequently took 1/25 in his 4 overs.
Verdict: KKR Finally Open Their Account with a Dramatic 4-Wicket Win
After five straight defeats, KKR finally got off the mark, and it was primarily because of Rinku Singh’s heroics. His 53* from 85/6 was undoubtedly one of the best rescue knocks of IPL 2026 so far. In addition, Anukul Roy’s 29* provided the perfect supporting role in this crucial partnership.
For RR, however, the collapse from 81/0 to 155/9 will certainly sting. Although Varun Chakravarthy and Kartik Tyagi together shared 6 wickets for just 36 runs in 8 overs, Jadeja’s 2/8 in the chase initially gave RR hope. But ultimately, Rinku had other plans.
