After 12 matches in the IPL 2023, we finally had a nail-biting finish. To be precise, Kolkata Knight Riders snatched victory from the jaws of defeat—all thanks to Rinku Singh's blinder in the last over of the run-chase.

Most of the records here are from the afternoon match between Gujarat and Kolkata. Starring, Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku.

Last over magic

It was undoubtedly a magical 20th over for Kolkata in the chase. Needing 29 runs off the last over, Kolkata smashed 31 runs, yup! You heard it right. Their herculean effort registered plenty of records. Here are a few:

- In all T20s, the 29-run target in the last over is the highest-ever target reached in a successful chase. It is the first 25-run-plus target achieved in the 20th over of a chase.  

- Rinku became the first-ever batter in all T20s to hit five sixes in the 20th over of a chase. Overall, 1st or 2nd innings, apart from Rinku, only two batters have achieved this feat—Ravindra Jadeja against RCB in 2021 and Nikhil Naik against RSPB in 2019. 

- The 30 runs scored by Rinku is the most by a batter in the 20th over while chasing. Overall, those are the joint second-most runs scored in the last over by a batter. Jadeja, in his onslaught against Harshal Patel, scored 36 runs. 

- Rinku became the fourth batter in the IPL to hit five sixes in a single over. Chris Gayle against Rahul Sharam (PWI) in 2012, Rahul Tewatia against Sheldon Cottrell (PBKS) in 2020 and Jadeja against Harshal (RCB) in 2021 are the other three. 

Sleepless night for Yash Dayal

Conceding 31 runs in the last over when 29 was required, any bowler would be heartbroken. Dayal was at the receiving end of Rinku's wrath. 

In his four-over spell, Dayal conceded 69 runs. Only Basil Thampi (0/70) for SRH, against RCB in 2018, conceded more runs in an innings in the IPL. Adding to his woes, he became the second GT bowler to concede 50+ runs in a spell. 

It does not end there for him. He became the fifth bowler in the IPL to concede five sixes in an over. Yash and Harshal are the only two bowlers to suffer this fate in the 20th over. 

The 31 runs conceded by him are also the second-most in the final over of an innings - Harshal's 37-run over tops the list. 

In his four-over spell, he conceded eight sixes, which is the most by a bowler in an IPL innings. Before this match, six bowlers had conceded seven sixes in their spell. 

The real Impact player

In all three matches, Venkatesh Iyer has been the impact player for KKR. Twice he was subbed in, and once Suyash Sharma replaced him.

He was among the runs in the first match but did not make a real impact. However, today, he became the first impact player to register a half-century in the IPL. 

He scored 83 runs at a strike rate of 207.5. In the IPL, among KKR's number three batters who scored 50+ runs in an innings, his strike rate of 207.5 is the best. 

His innings was just not about aggression. What caught the eye was his controlled aggression. Despite scoring at 207.5, Venky had a control percentage of 97.5, a rare sight in a T20 innings. His control percentage in this knock is the best among batters who have scored 75+ runs at a strike rate of 180+ in an IPL innings.   

Rashid's fourth hat-trick in T20s

In the 17th over, Rashid had derailed KKR's chase with a hat-trick, his first in the IPL and fourth overall in T20s. In all T20s, he now has the most hat-tricks for a bowler. 

In the IPL, he became the third captain after Yuvraj Singh (2009) against RCB & DCH and Shane Watson (2014) against SRH to bag a hat-trick. Yuvi against RCB, Watson against SRH, and Rashid in this match came in losing causes. 

Apart from these three, Sunil Narine, against PBKS in 2013, and Samuel Badree, in 2017 against MI, suffered a hat-trick in losing causes. However, Narine and Badree were non-captains. 

SRH vs PBKS - Match 14

Dhawan leads a lone battle

Before entering this match, Punjab Kings were unbeaten in their two games. But a complete batting failure led to their first defeat. 

In any case, the skipper led a lone battle. Out of the 143 runs scored by PBKS, 99 belonged to Shikhar Dhawan. He contributed 69.2 percent of the runs in their innings. In completed innings (full 20 overs or all-out innings) in the IPL, only Brendon McCullum (71.2%) had a higher contribution percentage in the opening match of the IPL in 2008. 

Batting alongside Mohit Rathee, Dhawan forged a 55-run unbeaten partnership for the 10th wicket, the highest-ever 10th wicket stand in the IPL. In this partnership, Dhawan scored 94.5 percent of runs (52 off 55). In a 50+ run stand in the IPL, that is the highest percentage of runs a batter has contributed in a partnership.

In the IPL, Dhawan became the fourth batter after Suresh Raina in 2013 against SRH, Gayle against RCB in 2019 and Mayank Agarwal in 2021 against DC to remain unbeaten on 99. 

Few Other stats

- At the age of 23 years and 213 days, Shubman Gill became the second-youngest player to register 2000 IPL runs. Rishabh Pant was 23 years and 27 days old when he reached the milestone. 

- Vijay Shankar registered a 21-ball half-century against KKR in the first innings, the fastest for a GT batter in the IPL. The previous fastest was by Wriddhiman Saha (28 balls) against SRH.

- The total of 204/4 by GT is their first-ever 200+ total in the IPL. Their previous best was 199 against SRH in 2022. 

- In the IPL, this was the second-highest target successfully chased by KKR. Their best came against RCB (206) in 2019 in Bengaluru. 

- The total of 207/7 by KKR in this match is the highest in Ahmedabad in the IPL. GT, in their first innings, had set this record.