Rinku Singh said that like everyone, he also dreams of playing for India especially after his recent heroics for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in their recent IPL 2023 match in Ahmedabad.
Rinku Singh played an astonishing knock of 48* in 21 balls with 6 sixes and 1 four to his name. He was at the crease with 48 runs needed in 18 balls in the end. Earlier, while chasing a 205-run target, Venkatesh Iyer’s 83 and captain Nitish Rana’s 45 had given a glimmer of hope to KKR fans despite the loss of early wickets.
However, the Aligarh-born cricketer showed great valor and courage to hit a six and a four in the 19th over and when 28 were needed off the last five balls, the left-hander did the unthinkable and smashed Yash Dayal for five sixes, to take KKR to victory with three wickets to spare.
It was perhaps the most unlikely yet sensational IPL victory in history, coming against the rampaging Gujarat Titans, for whom stand-in captain Rashid Khan had almost sealed the deal with the first hat-trick of the season.
“Like everyone else, I also dream of playing for India, but I am focused on the IPL. Just want to keep performing for KKR and help them win matches. Suresh Raina has been my idol since the start and I follow him. He is a very good fielder and he also used to bat lower down the order as I do,” Rinku Singh told India Today.
My Father Struggled A Lot: Rinku Singh Shares The Hardships He Has Faced In Life
Rinku’s story will feature among the ‘rags to riches’ stories, with the cricketer now having a contract worth Rs 55 lakh with KKR, but it all happened due to his hard work and the KKR franchise’s unwavering faith and support.
The left-handed cricketer comes from a lower-middle-class family in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. His father delivered LPG cylinders, and during the 2015-16 season, when they had a Rs 5 lakh debt, Rinku began saving from his daily allowance. He also took on a job as a domestic worker.
“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 added.