Livingstone stars as ADKR edge Vipers in thrilling finish

On the night of bagging a INR 13 Crore deal with Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL 2026 Auction, Liam Livingstone responded with a 48-ball 76 as Abu Dhabi Knight Riders emerged victorious against Desert Vipers by a narrow one-run margin.

Livingstone's knock, which included six fours and three sixes, propelled Knight Riders to 181/5. Max Holden and Fakhar Zaman then provided Vipers a good start in the chase and were well-placed to get over the line but Knight Riders defended 17 in the last two overs, thanks to Andre Russell and Ajay Kumar, to register their second win in six matches while handing their opponents their first defeat in seven outings.

Vipers were off to a flying start as Holden and Zaman dominated the powerplay, getting 53. Holden reached his fifty off 41 balls and Zaman complemented him well, giving the Vipers a solid platform. The pair added 97 before Holden fell to a short of length delivery from Russell. Zaman and Hasan Nawaz kept the chase alive but the former departed six short of a fifty, giving Russell his second wicket.

After 15 overs, the Vipers required 47 off 30 balls, setting up a tense final stretch. After being hit for a couple of sixes by Nawaz, Ajay Kumar came back well in the death, even as Olly Stone went for 18 in the 18th over. The match went down to the final ball with Vipers needing a boundary but Tom Bruce missed a slower delivery and got only a bye, handing Knight Riders a dramatic one-run victory.

Earlier, opting to bat, the Knight Riders were off to a rocky start as both openers fell cheaply. Phil Salt was trapped lbw by Khuzaima Tanveer for a first-ball duck, while Michael Pepper was caught behind off Lockie Ferguson for 4. Alex Hales attempted to stabilise the innings, hitting two sixes and a couple of boundaries, but he too fell to Ferguson after a promising 25-ball 18, leaving Knight Riders at 43/3 at the end of the powerplay.

It was then that Livingstone and Alishan Sharafu came together to steady the ship. The pair took their time initially, building a 50-run stand before accelerating as the innings progressed. After Sharafu's dismissal for 39 off 35, Rutherford joined Livingstone and unleashed an aggressive assault in the final overs. The duo added 69 runs in the last five overs, with Rutherford hitting a couple of sixes and four boundaries. Livingstone reached his fifty off 37 balls and stayed till the penultimate delivery of the innings as Knight Riders got 24 runs in the last two overs to finish with 180-plus.

Brief scores: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 181/5 in 20 overs (Liam Livingstone 76, Alishan Sharafu 39; Lockie Ferguson 3-34) beat Desert Vipers 180/6 in 20 overs (Max Holden 52, Fakhar Zaman 44; Andre Russell 2-16) by 1 run.