BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 12: Rashid Khan of the Strikers celebrates taking the wicket of Mujeeb Ur Rahman of the Heat during the Men's Big Bash League match between the Brisbane Heat and the Adelaide Strikers at The Gabba, on January 12, 2022, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Rinku Singh has pulled off a stellar final over in the Kolkata Knight Riders win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL on Sunday, hitting five sixes off the final five balls.
The Knight Riders were chasing a total of 205, needing 29 from the final over. With teammate Yash Dayal hitting a single, Singh then stepped up to hit five balls over the fence in a row.
Singh's heroics overshadowed a Rashid Khan hat-trick in the same match, dismissing Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Shardul Thakur in the 16th over of the first innings.
The match lit up social media, with pundits praising both Singh and Khan, including cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar.
“One felt Rashid's hat-trick was a game-changer but Rinku's power-hitting was something special,” Tendulkar wrote on Twitter.
“Enjoyed the last few moments. This amazing game continues to teach us that it's not over till it's over.”
In the wake of his match-winning performance, Singh paid tribute to his family.
“My father struggled a lot," Singh said.
"I come from a farmer's family, Every ball that I hit out of the ground was dedicated to the people who sacrificed so much for me"
Speaking after the match, Khan, Gujarat's stand-in captain, said that while the loss had been tough, it was entertaining.
“A tough game for us, especially as a captain,” Khan said.
“That is what T20 is all about, it is about entertainment.”