Kolkata’s Rinku hits five sixes in final over to win IPL thriller

Published

4 years ago

April 9, 2023

Indian batsman Rinku Singh blasted five sixes on the final five balls as Kolkata Knight Riders chased down 205 to stun champions Gujarat Titans in an IPL thriller on Sunday.

The left-hander turned the chase on its head with an unbeaten 21-ball 48, after Kolkata slipped to 155-7 following Rashid Khan’s hat-trick at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

Kolkata needed 29 from the final over off Yash Dayal. Rinku took strike after Umesh Yadav’s single on the first ball to send five hits over the fence and silence a raucous home crowd.

The chase was set up by a 40-ball 83 by impact player Venkatesh Iyer, who put on a 100-run third-wicket stand with skipper Nitish Rana, who made 45.

“Tonight was another example that we will never give up as a team,” Iyer said after the three-wicket win. “The wicket was quite good to bat and I was just trying to execute my plans.”

Iyer, who came on in place of Suyash Sharma under the new impact player rule, fell to Alzarri Joseph and Rashid soon took over to claim his first Indian Premier League hat-trick.

Rashid, a champion leg-spinner who now has four hat-tricks in T20 cricket, went for a celebratory sprint after sending back Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Shardul Thakur.

But little did Rashid know Rinku and Kolkata would have the last laugh.

“A tough game for us, especially as a captain,” said Rashid, standing in as skipper for the unwell Hardik Pandya. “That is what T20 is all about, it is about entertainment.”

After two straight wins, two-time champions Kolkata took second spot in the 10-team table, behind leaders Rajasthan Royals.

It was a first defeat of the season for Gujarat, who won the league in their debut campaign last year.

Earlier Gujarat’s Vijay Shankar smashed five sixes in his 24-ball 63 as Gujarat took 45 runs from the final two overs to reach 204-4.

Shankar stood out for Gujarat with his blitz and key partnerships including an unbeaten 51-run fifth-wicket stand with David Miller, who made two.

Related Topics:#GujaratTitans #KKR Cricket featured IPL

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Abu Muslim Farah edge Arman FC with 1-0 victory in ACL match

Published

4 hours ago

November 11, 2026

Ariana News

Arman FC suffered a 1-0 defeat against Abu Muslim Farah in the 83rd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Wednesday.

Abu Muslim Farah found the back of the net once in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break.

Despite efforts from both sides in the second half, neither team managed to score, and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.

Arman FC will face Kabul Istiqlal on November 15 in their final match of the competition, while Abu Muslim Farah will take on Toofan Herat on November 14.

All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are broadcast live on Ariana Television.

Sorkh Poshan Khafi secures ACL title with crushing 7-0 win over Khurasan Faryab

Published

5 hours ago

November 11, 2026

Ariana News

Sorkh Poshan Khafi have mathematically secured the sixth-season Roshan Afghanistan Champions League title after recording a commanding 7-0 victory over Khurasan Faryab in the competition’s 82nd match on Wednesday.

The Herat-based side moved to 47 points from 17 matches, putting the championship beyond the reach of their closest rivals with one fixture still remaining in their campaign.

The title was effectively decided by the result, rather than the conclusion of the competition, as other teams still have matches to play.

Before Wednesday’s encounter, Sorkh Poshan had 44 points, six ahead of second-placed Abu Muslim Farah. Even if Abu Muslim win both of their remaining matches, they can reach only 44 points, leaving Sorkh Poshan uncatchable.

Sorkh Poshan took a 1-0 lead into half-time in Wednesday’s match before producing a devastating second-half display, scoring six additional goals to complete the 7-0 rout.

The victory also confirmed the club’s outstanding consistency throughout the campaign, establishing them as the season’s dominant side.

Sorkh Poshan will play their final league fixture against Omar Zawak on November 15, giving the team an opportunity to finish their campaign on another high note.

Khurasan Faryab, meanwhile, are scheduled to face Sarsabz Yashlar on November 14 as the remaining league fixtures continue.

The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League features 10 clubs competing in a league format, with the title now decided ahead of the final round of matches.

Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) broadcasts all matches of the competition live on Ariana Television.

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Historic first for Rahmat Shah after ICC rankings update

It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill.

Published

10 hours ago

November 11, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah has created history by becoming the first player from his country to enter the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.

Rahmat climbs six spots to seventh on the rankings for Test batters following his innings of 173 in the opening match of Afghanistan’s two-game series with Zimbabwe in Sharjah, with the in-form right-hander reaching a new career-high rating in the process.

It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill, South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka left-hander Kamindu Mendis and earn a spot inside the top 10 for the very first time.

It caps off a good fortnight for Afghanistan, who earlier this month achieved their highest-ever spot on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings when they rose to sixth on the back of a tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.