KKR Edge Out Royals in a Thriller by 1 Run as Russell and Parag Light Up Eden Gardens –IPL 2026, RR VS KKR

By Shah Faisal 

In one of the most dramatic games of this IPL season, the Kolkata Knight Riders held their nerve to defeat Rajasthan Royals by just one run in a high-scoring classic at Eden Gardens. The match had it all—Russell’s power-hitting, Parag’s sensational counterattack, and a breathtaking final over that saw KKR clinch victory by the barest of margins.

Playing IX
Kolkata Knight Riders: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (capt.), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarth
Impact Subs: Manish Pandey, Harshit Rana, Anukul Roy, Rovman Powell, Luvnith Sisodia

Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kunal Rathore, Riyan Parag (capt.), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh, Akash Madhwal
Impact Subs: Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Kumar Kartikeya, Ashok Sharma, Kwena Maphaka

KKR Set the Tone with Late-Over Mayhem 

Having won the toss and opted to bat first on a dry surface, KKR opened with Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. While Narine departed early, Gurbaz played with intent, helping his team score 56 runs in the powerplay alongside skipper Ajinkya Rahane. However, momentum wavered after Gurbaz fell to Maheesh Theekshana for a well-made 39, leaving the score at 69/2 in the 8th over. 

Rahane endured a scratchy innings, struggling against the spin duo of Hasaranga and Theekshana, and eventually fell while attempting a sweep off Riyan Parag, having failed to hit a single boundary. At 86/3 in 10 overs, KKR looked far from a 200-plus total. 

Enter Andre Russell—promoted to No. 5 for the first time this season—and the narrative changed. Despite a slow start (2 off 9 balls), Russell unleashed a brutal assault post the 15th over, sparking a late-innings explosion. His partner, young Angkrish Raghuvanshi, anchored the innings smartly before handing the baton to Rinku Singh, who closed the innings with a stunning 22-run final over. 

Russell's rapid half-century and Rinku's late blitz powered KKR to a formidable 206/5, a score that once seemed out of reach. 

Rajasthan’s Spirited Chase, Led by Parag, Falls Agonizingly Short 

In response, RR’s innings stuttered early. Vaibhav Suryavanshi top-edged a pull off Vaibhav Arora, brilliantly caught by Rahane running back. Moeen Ali then dismissed Kunal Rathore with a top edge in the very next over, and the Royals were reduced to 8/2. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to stabilize things with a 32-run powerplay contribution but fell to Moeen right after the field restrictions were lifted. With the middle-order wobbling, and two golden ducks for Dhruv Jurel and Wanindu Hasaranga, RR were 82/5 before the halfway mark. 

But Riyan Parag had other plans. Batting like a man possessed, he timed the ball exquisitely, launching a ferocious counterattack. His standout moment came in the 13th over when he hammered Moeen Ali for five consecutive sixes—a slog-sweep, a straight hit, a sweep, a deep long-on launch, and a loft over long-off—turning the match on its head. 

Partnering with Shimron Hetmyer, Parag kept RR alive, even reverse-sweeping Varun Chakravarthy for a six. At the end of the 15th over, RR were 155/5 and very much in the hunt, needing 52 off the last five overs. 

However, the game twisted again. KKR’s bowlers pulled things back in the death overs. The wicket of Shimron Hetmyer was followed by Parag's—bowled for a magnificent 95 off 47 balls by Harshit Rana—leaving RR with 33 needed from 12 balls. 

Russell conceded just 11 in the 19th over, leaving 22 needed off the final over, the same number KKR had scored in their last. 

Final Over Drama: Rinku Singh Saves the Day 

With 19 needed off 4 balls, Shivam Dube hit a six, followed by a four and another six—three needed off the last ball. Vaibhav Arora nailed the yorker at the perfect moment. Dube tried to ramp it but could only squirt it out. Rinku Singh, who had already saved vital runs in the field, charged in and stopped a second run, denying RR a tie and sealing an epic win for KKR. That would help to keep their hopes of playing in the play-offs alive.

Player of the Match  
Andre Russell was deemed man of the match for his blistering innings.

IPL is finally finding its close-match mojo with two back-to-back thrillers. It won't be surprising if we see many more close games like this one. Because the earth has got too hot for teams and there is no other way but to fight till last.