Kolkata: After Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) road to the playoffs ended following a one-run loss to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match, skipper Nitish Rana said that there are a lot of positives for his team to take including batter Rinku Singh who was a revelation in this season.
Rinku Singh's fighting knock of 67 runs went in vain as Lucknow Super Giants defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by one run in a thriller in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match here at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
"The result did not go in our favour, but plenty of positives to take from this season and lots to improve as well. We will come back stronger next season. You need to do well in all three departments to compete and finish in the top 4 in the world's best league. I feel bad because we had the ability to qualify in the top four and we will work on mistakes and come back better next season. It feels like all 14 matches, I have spoken about Rinku. I am personally very happy for him (Rinku) and I do not really have words to describe him because the entire world has seen what he can do on a cricket field," said Rana in a post-match presentation.
Rinku indeed had a season to remember this year and established himself as a finisher to be feared. In 14 matches, he scored 474 runs at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52. He scored four half-centuries in this IPL, with best score of 67*.
Put to bat first by KKR, LSG posted a total of 176/8 in their 20 overs. LSG lost wickets at regular intervals and was 73/5 at one point. Quinton de Kock (28) and Prerak Mankad (26) contributed some useful knocks up the order.
A 74-run stand between Nicholas Pooran (58 in 30 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes) and Ayush Badoni (25 in 21 balls, two fours and a six) and a cameo from Krishnappa Gowtham (11*) helped LSG reach a competitive total.
Sunil Narine (2/28) was the pick of the bowlers for KKR. Vaibhav Arora (2/30) and Shardul Thakur (2/27 in two overs) got a couple of scalps each as well. Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy got a wicket each.
In the chase of 177, KKR started off on a high note, accumulating 61 runs in 5.5 overs before Venkatesh Iyer (24) was dismissed. After the dismissal of Jason Roy (45 in 28 balls, with seven fours and a six), KKR was reduced to 82/3 in their 10 overs.
In the second half of the innings, KKR struggled to keep up with the required run rate. Despite Rinku Singh's valiant 67* in 33 balls, consisting of six fours and four sixes, KKR fell just one run short of a win. They finished at 175/7 in their 20 overs.
Ravi Bishnoi (2/23) and Yash Thakur (2/31 in three overs) were the pick of the bowlers for LSG. Skipper Krunal Pandya and Gowtham got a wicket each.
Pooran was given the 'Player of the Match' award for his match-winning knock. With this victory, LSG qualifies for the playoffs. They end their campaign with eight wins, five losses and one no-result in 14 games. They have a total of 17 points and are in third position. KKR finished their campaign in seventh position with six wins, eight losses and a total of 12 points. (ANI)
