Kolkata Knight Riders managed to put a commendable total in their full quota of 20 overs in their IPL 2026 opener against Mumbai Indians on Sunday (March
29) at the Wankhede Stadium.
Put into bat first, KKR had an outstanding start with Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen as the pair added 69 runs for the opening wicket. Rahane went on to score a fantastic 67 off 40 balls, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi also managed a decent half-century with 51 runs.
Rinku Singh comes with Late Cameo
Rinku Singh came in to bat at the flag end of the innings and managed to instil an impetus at the end. The southpaw ended up unbeaten on 33 off 21 deliveries, hitting 4 boundaries.
Rinku, who has honed the finisher role at KKR, has often been devoid of deliveries. His role has been largely playing at the flag end and finding boundaries in the latter overs. But in this match, Rinku has managed to play 21 balls, thus creating a unique piece of moment in his KKR career.
Rinku Singh playing 21 balls meant the Indian batter getting to face more than 20 balls only the 2nd time in the last two years. The last time Rinku faced 20+ deliveries was in 2025 against Delhi Capitals, where he scored 36 off 25 balls. Before that, Rinku's 20+ delivery encounter came against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2023 season.
KKR post 220 against MI
KKR posted a commanding 220/4 in 20 overs against MI at Wankhede in IPL 2026 Match 2. Captain Ajinkya Rahane anchored with a fluent 67 off 40 (3x4, 5x6), while Angkrish Raghuvanshi smashed 51 off 29. Finn Allen blazed 37 off 17 early, and Rinku Singh added 33* off 21. Shardul Thakur claimed 3/39 for MI, but KKR's aggressive top-order and middle-order acceleration set a daunting target on a batting-friendly pitch.
