Image: Rinku Singh under fire on social media after scoring 6 runs off 12 balls / © News18
KKR’s tough run in IPL 2026 continued as they went down by 32 runs to Chennai Super Kings. Chasing 193, Kolkata could only put up 160 for 7 in their 20 overs, making it another disappointing night for the Knight Riders. Rinku Singh once again failed to deliver when it mattered. He got out cheaply at a critical moment while trying to push the scoring rate, and his dismissal pretty much summed up KKR’s struggles this season. Their middle order just hasn’t stepped up under pressure.
Rovman Powell stayed unbeaten on 31, and Ramandeep Singh chipped in with a handy 35, but the asking rate had already climbed too high by then. The target always looked a bit too steep. Earlier, CSK posted a solid 192 for 5 after being put in to bat. Sanju Samson played a fluent knock of 48, Dewald Brevis scored 41, and young Ayush Mhatre caught the eye with a quick 38 off just 17 balls. KKR’s bowlers did manage to keep the total under 200, but they couldn’t build on that in the chase. The game changed in the middle overs when Noor Ahmad spun his web.
He finished with impressive figures of 3 for 21 in 4 overs, breaking the back of KKR’s innings, including the big wicket of Rinku Singh. Kartik Tyagi was KKR’s best bowler with 2 for 35, and Sunil Narine kept things tight as usual. This win gave CSK their second consecutive victory and much-needed momentum. For KKR, though, it’s back to the drawing board. Their batting, especially from Rinku in the middle order, desperately needs to improve if they’re going to turn this campaign around.