Rahul Dravid watches in agony as RR face another final-over heartbreak, batter Shubham Dubey storms off field after loss

In an end worthy of the Eden Gardens roar, Shubham Dubey and Jofra Archer brought Rajasthan Royals to the brink of an astonishing heist, only to fall short by a single run in a pulsating last over bowled by Vaibhav Arora. Needing 22 from six balls, Dubey struck a six, four and another six in three successive deliveries to bring the equation down to three off one.

A desperate push for two off the final ball ended in heartbreak, as Archer was caught inches short despite a full-length dive, thanks to a brilliant throw from Rinku Singh. The dismissal triggered wild celebrations from the Kolkata Knight Riders and a gutted silence from the Royals dugout. Dubey, frustrated at failing to see his side past the finishing line, stormed off the field as soon as Archer was dismissed, walking straight towards the dugout without looking at the Englishman.

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It was a cruel end to a near-miracle chase led by Riyan Parag’s defiant 95 off 45 balls – a captain’s knock of immense character and shot-making flair.

Chasing 207, Royals were gasping at 71/5 before Parag and Shimron Hetmyer stitched a gutsy 92-run partnership to keep hope alive. Parag’s assault on Moeen Ali, including five sixes in an over, reignited a dead chase. But once Hetmyer and Parag fell in quick succession, the equation ballooned again, only for Dubey and Archer to nearly pull off the impossible.

Earlier, KKR rode on a vintage Andre Russell blitz – a 22-ball fifty – and a composed 44 from Angkrish Raghuvanshi to post 206/4 after opting to bat. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ajinkya Rahane gave them a solid platform, but it was the Russell show in the final overs that gave KKR the extra cushion. Rinku Singh added late impetus as 22 came off the final over.

KKR’s bowling, led by Moeen, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana with two wickets apiece, seemed to have sealed the game at the halfway mark. But Parag’s innings turned the script on its head. In the end, it took a perfect throw, a calm take, and split-second reflexes to save two points for Kolkata, and keep them well and truly alive in the race for playoffs.

With the win over RR, the Knight Riders moved to 11 points in the table with five wins (one no result), and are currently placed sixth. Royals, meanwhile, are already eliminated from the race for playoffs, and remain 8th on the points table. They have three wins in 11 matches.