The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clinched their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title on Sunday, leading to a grand celebration from co-owner Shah Rukh Khan. The Bollywood superstar embraced each member of the team and even showed his love to mentor Gautam Gambhir by kissing his forehead. The victory was made even sweeter as it came at the same ground where KKR won their maiden title in 2012 under Gambhir's leadership. Team members Rinku Singh and Nitish Rana also expressed their joy and credited Gambhir for his impact on the team's success.
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has raised concerns over the selectors' decision to not include KKR's Rinku Singh in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad. Gavaskar believes that Singh's exceptional performances in last year's IPL should have secured him a spot in the team, regardless of his form in the current season. With impressive stats and a knack for finishing games, Singh's exclusion in favor of Shivam Dube has left many stunned.
35-year-old veteran Sunil Narine proved his worth once again as he slammed his first T20 century in the Indian Premier League 2024, guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to a comfortable win over the Rajasthan Royals. Narine's explosive knock of 109 runs in just 56 balls, along with a strong finish from Rinku Singh, helped KKR post an imposing total of 223/6. It was also a memorable game for Narine as he became the third KKR player, after Brendon McCullum and Venkatesh Iyer, to hit a century in the IPL.
Kolkata Knight Riders continued their impressive performance in the Indian Premier League by scoring the second-highest score in the team's history against Delhi Capitals. Rinku Singh played an explosive innings with a strike rate of 325, helping the team reach a total of 272 runs. This victory was particularly sweet as Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer was facing his old team, and fans were on the edge of their seats as the team came close to breaking the record for the highest score in IPL history. Rinku Singh's fast-paced batting was key, as he narrowly missed breaking the record set by Mumbai Indians in the previous match.
In the highly anticipated opening match of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders posted a strong total of 208 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Despite a shaky start, KKR's Phil Salt and Andre Russell came to the rescue with their impressive knocks, while T Natarajan led the bowling attack for Hyderabad with 3 wickets. Although KKR's skipper Shreyas Iyer failed to make a mark, the team was able to reach a safe total thanks to performances by Ramandeep Singh and Rinku Singh.