Aussie allrounder took a crucial wicket before Kolkata beat Lucknow in a tiebreaker lasting just four balls
Cameron Green has proven his worth once again for Kolkata Knight Riders with a strong all-round performance to help his side to a Super Over win against Lucknow Super Giants.
Green followed his scores of 79 and 27 in his previous two games with a 21-ball 34 and also took the key wicket of Aiden Markram against the Justin Langer-coached Lucknow in a tight two-over spell on Sunday.
Ultimately, though, after his knock that featured three sixes and his impressive 1-12, Green was just a spectator for a remarkable conclusion which will be remembered not just for delivering a last-ball six to take match into overtime but also for then serving up the shortest ever IPL Super Over.
Lucknow, chasing 156 for victory in regulation, needed an unlikely 17 off the last over, but Kartik Tyagi lost his way, gifting up two free hits with high no-balls.
Lucknow found an unlikely swashbuckling hero in 35-year-old veteran Test quick Mohammed Shami, who clouted the maximum off the last ball which seemed to have left KKR shattered after they’d looked odds in to prevail thanks to Rinku Singh’s (83 not out) earlier fireworks.
When Shami smashed Tyagi’s final delivery over long off to force the Super Over, KKR had to win the match all over again, and so they turned to their cunning 37-year-old T20 master Sunil Narine.
He produced what felt like the slowest and most super of Super Overs, bowling fellow West Indian Nicholas Pooran off the first ball, then getting Markram caught in the deep off the third as Lucknow posted 1-2 off just three balls.
“The entire team backed me to bowl the Super Over, so I think once everyone said the same thing, it was pretty easy,” Narine said.
He was then able to watch Rinku, who’d been KKR’s star all night with his 51-ball knock that had included four consecutive sixes and brilliant fielding with four catches, smash a boundary off the first ball to give Kolkata the win that moves them up to eighth while Lucknow are now bottom after five-straight losses.
“I think we definitely need a break. I think we’re going to refresh. There is always pressure,” Lucknow skipper Rishabh Pant said on a day when Australian T20 skipper Mitch Marsh fell for just two for his side.
Earlier on Sunday, Sai Sudharsan continued his fine form with 87 off 46 balls as Gujarat Titans strolled to an eight-wicket win over hosts Chennai Super Kings.
Sudharsan, who scored a hundred in the previous game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, hit seven sixes and four fours as Gujarat successfully chased down Chennai’s 7-158 with eight wickets and 20 balls to spare.
IPL 2026 standings
Australians in IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings: Matt Short ($255k), Spencer Johnson ($255k, replaces Nathan Ellis ($340k))
Delhi Capitals: Mitchell Starc ($2m)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Josh Hazlewood ($2.13m), Tim David ($510k)
Punjab Kings: Marcus Stoinis ($1.9m), Ben Dwarshuis ($745k), Mitchell Owen ($510k), Cooper Connolly ($510k), Xavier Bartlett ($136k)
Kolkata Knight Riders: Cameron Green ($3.5m)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins ($3.5m), Travis Head ($2.38m), Jack Edwards ($510k, withdrawn)
Lucknow Super Giants: Josh Inglis ($1.49m), Mitchell Marsh ($578k)
