Rinku Singh single-handedly won the match for Kolkata Knight Riders in the last over against Gujarat Titans. GT made 204 for 4 in 20 overs. KKR were strong in the chase, thanks to a valiant knock from Venkatesh Iyer of 83 runs in 40 balls. However, Rashid Khan took the hat trick and left KKR with a massive task. In the last over, KKR needed 29 runs. Umesh Yadav took a single in the first, and that left Rinku with 28 runs needed in the last 5 balls. What went ahead we have never seen before. Rinku Singh took charge of Yash Dayal’s bowling and smashed 5 sixes in the next 5 deliveries and took KKR home.
In the post-match conference, Rinku said,
“My father struggled a lot; I come from a farmer’s family; every ball that I hit out of the ground was dedicated to the people who sacrificed so much for me.”
Rinku Singh Journey
In 2018, Kolkata Knight Riders picked Rinku Singh for INR 80 lakhs. However, he did not get regular chances before this season. He had an amazing Ranji Trophy season in 2018-19 for Uttar Pradesh. Rinku scored 953 runs in 10 innings with four hundreds. He was the third-highest run-getter of that season. Born in Aligarh, Rinku credits Kolkata Knight Riders for his rise. He also recalled struggles while recovering from a knee injury that kept him out of the first half of the IPL 2021. In a video uploaded on KKR’s official Facebook page on Wednesday, Rinku said,
“Those 5 years were really tough for me. After the first year, when I was picked for KKR and I got a chance to play, I couldn’t perform well. Still, KKR trusted me a lot and they retained me for the next couple of seasons.”
Rinku is the sole breadwinner of the family. He said that his father didn’t eat for two-three days after knowing about his injury. The injury sidelined the cricketer for several months. He added,
“I trained hard the way my body language is. The team never thought I was down. Last year was quite tough for me as I got a knee injury during the Vijay Hazare Trophy while running a double. The moment I fell, I thought of the IPL. They told me I needed an operation and would require 6-7 months to recover.”
“I wasn’t happy staying away from cricket for so long. My father didn’t eat for 2-3 days. I told him it was just an injury and it’s part of cricket. I’m the sole breadwinner of my life and when such things happen, it is bound to be worrisome. I was a bit sad, but I knew I would recover quickly as I had a lot of self-belief.”
Watch Rinku Singh’s 5 sixes here
This year’s IPL has been excellent so far. What do you guys think about Rinku Singh’s innings? Let us know in the comments below.
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