After delivering a match-defining performance on the field to help Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pip Rajasthan Royals by a solitary run to help the defending champions stay alive in the race to the IPL 2025 playoffs, Rinku Singh revealed that fielding pumps him up even more than batting, despite him being under a injury cloud following his final over exploits.

On the first ball of the 20th over of RR’s chase of 207, Rinku ran to his right at deep cover and dived full length to deny Jofra Archer a boundary, after which he was seen limping while holding the region near his right groin.

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With Royals needing three runs off the final ball, Shubham Dubey hit the ball to long-off and called for two. But Rinku, patrolling the boundary, sprinted in, picked up cleanly, and fired a one-bounce throw to Vaibhav Arora, who calmly removed the bails to catch a diving Jofra short of his crease. It sealed a one-run win and triggered wild celebrations from the KKR camp.

Moments after the thrilling finish, Rinku revealed that he is well aware about his role in the outfield, while highlighting the importance of saving each run that eventually helped his side keep themselves in the hunt for a top-four finish.

“(The diving effort on 19.1) was very important because everyone in India knows that the outfield here is very fast. So you have to react accordingly. Once the field restrictions are lifted after the powerplay, I field outside the 30-yard circle. I enjoy my fielding a lot. And to be honest, I like fielding more than batting,” Rinku said after the match.

With KKR needing to win every game to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs, they put on a strong fielding performance while defending 206. In the first over of RR’s chase, Rahane ran backward from midwicket and took a diving catch to dismiss Vaibhav Suryavanshi despite having stitches on the webbing of his right hand, which was heavily bandaged.

“Fielding is the factor where you can control as a unit,” he said after KKR moved to sixth place on the points table.

“If you can save 10 or 12 runs in the field, that’s a bonus. That’s what we decided – let’s give our best in the field, bowlers are doing their job anyway. It is all about if you can take one or two brilliant catches, stop a couple of runs, and in the end that was the difference,” he added.

KKR’s next play Chennai Super Kings at home on Wednesday.