Even Rinku Singh would have probably laughed off if a soothsayer had told him that the chants of his name would ring around the hallowed Eden Gardens during a tough chase for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
He was more or less a passenger for KKR as he scored just 251 runs cumulatively in the past four editions of the IPL. However, he had been working on his batting with KKR Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar at the KKR Academy during the off-season and the results are pretty visible.
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From taking Yash Dayal to the cleaners to almost pulling off another sensational heist against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Singh has carved out a name for himself in the Indian cricketing landscape.
Rinku Singh hain inka naam🙌, namumkin nahin inke liye koi kaam 🤩 #KKRvLSG #IPLonJioCinema #TATAIPL #EveryGameMatters | @KKRiders pic.twitter.com/2YbgkciPW5
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 20, 2023
The Knights needed 41 to win in the final two overs against LSG and yet they lost the match by just one run, courtesy of Singh's heroics. After smashing 20 off fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq in the penultimate over, he went hard at Yash Thakur with two sixes and a four off the final three balls but couldn't take his team over the line.
With the ICC Cricket World Cup set to take place in the subcontinent later this year, there have been calls from certain sections to include Singh in the Indian ODI team in the build-up to the tournament. However, Singh remains unfazed and wants to focus on the controllables.
KKR's season is over but here's what we take away about Rinku... 🫶
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 20, 2023
He's the hero #KKR deserve and need right now. So we'll cheer him, applaud his efforts and bow down to his sheer resilience. He's a silent guardian, a terrific finisher. A true knight! 🦸🏻♂️#RinkuSingh #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/srBuzcRGg7
What did Rinku Singh say about his performance?
“The five ball sixes was there in the back of mind. I was very relaxed and thought I will hit the way I have. We needed 21 runs in the last over. I missed one ball otherwise, we would have won,” he told reporters after the match.
“It feels really good when you have this kind of a season. I am not thinking about India selection, I will keep working the way I am. Family is very happy. People started knowing me from last year but ever since I have hit five sixes, I’ve been getting a lot of respect," he added.
Dil aur awards, dono jeet liye, Rinku! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/iIG7dqUw7q
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 20, 2023
How has Rinku Singh performed in IPL 2023?
Singh has had a sensational season and finished the tournament with 474 runs, including four fifties with a strike rate of 149.53.
Interestingly, he has even more destructive while chasing. In seven innings, he has scored 305 runs, including four fifties, with an average of 152.50 and a strike rate of 174.28.
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