IPL 2026: Lucknow Super Giants edge Kolkata Knight Riders off the last ball in Eden Gardens thriller
A last-ball finish at Eden Gardens. Lucknow Super Giants chased down 182 off the very last delivery to win the IPL 2026 15th Match by 3 wickets – a result that was far from settled heading into the final five overs. KKR will feel they left this game on the table.
KKR – 181/4 (20 overs)
LSG won the toss and elected to field, and things started well when Finn Allen fell cheaply for 9. But Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi rebuilt with purpose – an 84-run second-wicket stand that gave KKR structure. Both fell in quick succession: Rahane for 41 off 24 caught at mid-on, Raghuvanshi for 45 off 33 stumped at the boundary.
Rovman Powell gave the innings real momentum at the death – 39 off 24 balls at 162.5 – with Cameron Green anchoring at the other end with 32 not out off 24. KKR finished 181/4. A competitive total, not a dominant one. Sunil Narine did not bat.
Bowling highlights (LSG): Digvesh Rathi 1/25 (4 overs, econ 6.25), Manimaran Siddharth 1/34 (4 overs, econ 8.50), Avesh Khan 1/44 (4 overs, econ 11.00).
LSG Chase – 182/7 (20 overs)
The chase looked to be falling apart in the middle overs. Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram both fell inside five overs as LSG slipped to 42/2. Rishabh Pant came in and was gone for 10 off 9 – caught off Cameron Green – and Nicholas Pooran never found his timing, managing just 13 off 15 before holing out. At 104/5 with 5 overs left, 78 still needed, it looked KKR’s game.
Ayush Badoni had been keeping LSG in it through the middle – 54 off 34 at a strike rate of 158.82 before being caught at long-on off Anukul Roy in the 15th over. That dismissal, with the score at 125/6, felt like the game-defining moment. Then Mukul Dalip Choudhary happened.
The young LSG allrounder was extraordinary in the final phase. 54 not out off 27 balls – 2 fours, 7 sixes, strike rate 200. He took LSG from 125/6 to 182/7 off the last ball. When the winning hit landed, Eden Gardens went silent for the home crowd and loud for those in light blue.
Bowling highlights (KKR): Sunil Narine 1/13 (4 overs, econ 3.25), Anukul Roy 2/32 (4 overs, econ 8.00), Vaibhav Arora 2/38 (4 overs, econ 9.50).
Statz MVP – Mukul Dalip Choudhary (Rating: 77.5)
Mukul Dalip Choudhary tops the Statz Rating with 77.5 – the highest score in the match. The Statz system rates players on batting and bowling impact combined with result context, with a 15% loss penalty applied to the losing side. Choudhary’s 54 off 27 in the final four overs – essentially winning the match from 125/6 in 57 off the last 5 – gives him a BtI that no one else in this game comes close to. He hit more sixes (7) than any other batter on the night and finished it off the last ball. This is what the Statz Rating is built to identify: impact under pressure.
Statz Ratings – Top 5
| Rank | Player | Team | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mukul Dalip Choudhary | LSG | 77.5 |
| 2 | Ayush Badoni | LSG | 61.2 |
| 3 | Sunil Narine | KKR | 52.1 |
| 4 | Ajinkya Rahane | KKR | 47.9 |
| 5 | Digvesh Rathi | LSG | 46.7 |
Sunil Narine (52.1) is the standout KKR performer despite his side losing – 4 overs of 3.25 economy in a 182-run chase is exceptional. Rahane’s 47.9 reflects a quality knock that ultimately wasn’t enough.
Turning Point
Badoni’s wicket in the 15th over with the score at 125/6. When he fell caught at long-on off Anukul Roy, LSG needed 57 off the last 5 overs with four wickets in hand – two of them the tail. That was the moment KKR thought they’d won. Choudhary had other ideas.
Verdict
LSG win but KKR will feel hard done by. Narine’s 4 overs of 3.25 economy in that chase was a special spell – he did his job. Vaibhav Arora took two early wickets, Anukul Roy removed Badoni at the key moment. But Choudhary’s 54 off 27 off the last five overs was the kind of innings you can’t plan for. LSG get the two points. KKR get a very tough lesson about finishing.
Full scorecard and Statz Ratings: statz.ai/cricket/fixtures/69532/kolkata-knight-riders-vs-lucknow-super-giants/scorecard
