On a glittering night at the Eden Gardens, the stars from Kolkata Knight Riders shone the brightest as the home side fetched another last-ball win, courtesy of that man Rinku Singh. The explosive player joined hands with Andre Russell to stitch a 54-run stand from just 26 balls that helped the Knight Riders stay alive in the race for a spot in the IPL 2023 playoffs. Needing 27 runs in the last two overs, Russell first, who smoked three sixes in the 19th, bowled by Sam Curran. And Rinku Singh kept calm in the final ball of the match to swat it for a boundary to win the game for KKR as the whole Eden Gardens crowd erupted into loud cheers. Shikhar Dhawan might have ended up on the losing side but he achieved a very special record to his name. The Punjab Kings captain struck his 50th IPL half-century and joined an exclusive group of players, which include Virat Kohli and David Warner, who are the only others to do so. 'Hero Once Again!' Netizens Hail Rinku Singh After His Last Ball Boundary Helps Kolkata Knight Riders Beat Punjab Kings in IPL 2023.

While Dhawan’s 57 was one of the highlights and reasons why Punjab Kings got to 179/9, his opposite number Nitish Rana too, scored a crucial half-century to give his side the impetus with the bat in the middle overs. And after his dismissal, it was truly the Rinku-Russell show which lit up Eden Gardens. The two played the big shots and ran hard between the wickets to keep the scoreboard ticking when difficult balls could not be put away. Such an inspirational performance from the middle order will surely give them a massive boost in the remaining games. Rahmanullah Gurbaz Takes Catch in Two Attempts to Dismiss Prabhsimran Singh During KKR vs PBKS IPL 2023 Match (Watch Video).

KKR vs PBKS IPL 2023 Stat Highlights

#Shikhar Dhawan scored his 50th IPL fifty, becoming the third player after Virat Kohli and David Warner to do so.

#Dhawan is the second Indian player to do so.

#Nitish Rana scored his 2nd fifty of IPL 2023.

#KKR now have 21 wins against Punjab Kings in IPL, the second most by any team against a particular side.

#Andre Russell has the second-highest strike rate (200) against a team (Punjab Kings), having faced 100+ balls.

With three games remaining, Kolkata Knight Riders will look to keep up with this momentum when they take on Rajasthan Royals next. Punjab Kings on the other hand, are in a do-or-die situation and need to win every game from here to have a shot in the top four. They face Delhi Capitals next on May 13.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 09, 2023 02:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).