avesh khan was at the center of the latest flashpoint in the IPL 2026 meeting between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens on April 9, 2026. The moment came after Rinku Singh, under pressure in KKR’s innings, was dismissed for 4 off 7 balls. It quickly became one of the defining images of a tense night in Kolkata.
Rinku Singh falls after a brief stay
KKR reached 181/4 after their 20 overs, but the middle overs changed the shape of the innings. Rinku Singh came in when KKR were 105/3 in the 12th over, giving him time to settle and push the total higher, but he lasted only seven deliveries before Avesh Khan dismissed him.
The delivery was a slower-ball bouncer that Rinku Singh top-edged toward deep mid-wicket, where Aiden Markram completed the catch. The dismissal left KKR at 111/4 and cut short a phase that had looked set for a stronger finish.
Avesh Khan reaction fuels the moment
The dismissal was followed by a fiery reaction from avesh khan, who was seen shouting and gesturing aggressively toward Rinku Singh as the batter walked back. The exchange added heat to an already charged contest and drew attention because it came immediately after Rinku had just struck a six off the same bowler.
That brief duel summed up a sharp shift in momentum. Rinku Singh had tried to repeat the shot, but the slower-ball bouncer beat him, and the response from avesh khan turned the wicket into a major talking point.
KKR lose rhythm after strong positions
Before the collapse, KKR had been well placed through the partnership and scoring control of Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Rahane made 41 and Raghuvanshi scored 45, while Rovman Powell added late value with 39 off 24 balls to help KKR reach 181/4.
The innings, however, lost momentum in the middle phase. Between the 11th and 15th overs, KKR managed just 17 runs while losing three wickets, a stretch that slowed the chase for a much bigger total.
What Rinku Singh’s season tells the bigger story
The wicket also fit a broader pattern for Rinku Singh this season. He opened IPL 2026 with 33 not out off 21 balls against Mumbai Indians, then made 35 off 25 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but he has not yet produced the kind of consistency KKR need from a middle-order batter.
His role at number five gives him more balls to work with, but the return has not yet matched the expectation around him. That is why the dismissal, and the reaction from avesh khan, landed with so much force in a match KKR needed to control.
What comes next
LSG had begun their chase of 182 positively, reaching 31 without loss after three overs with Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram at the crease. For KKR, the wicket of Rinku Singh was another moment in a season where they are still searching for their first win, and the aftermath of avesh khan’s send-off will likely remain part of the conversation as the IPL 2026 contest moves on.
