Who Is Rinku Singh? The KKR Star Batter Who Smashed 5 Sixes In Last Over Against Gujarat Titans

A few batters have struck six sixes in one over in cricket. This accomplishment has been accomplished by batsmen like as Ravi Shastri, Yuvraj Singh, and Herschelle Gibbs. Yet, striking five sixes in a row when chasing a high score is quite unusual in cricket. Carlos Brathwaite accomplished it on the grandest platform in the T20 World Cup 2016 final against England, then Rahul Tewatiya did it in IPL 2020 for Rajasthan Royals (RR) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) and now another Indian batter has joined the list. KKR’s batsman blasted five sixes against Gujarat Giants’ (GT) Yash Dayal. KKR needed 29 runs in the final over, and Rinku performed the unbelievable. But did you know Rinku was going to give up cricket before being drafted by KKR?

Who is Rinku Singh?

Rinku’s father is an LPG cylinder home delivery guy, while his older brother drives an auto-rickshaw. Another member of the family works at a coaching institute. Rinku, on the other hand, suffered academically and dropped out of ninth grade. Despite this, cricket remained his love, which he pursued with devotion. However, Rinku’s family was in debt, and he was required to provide any money he made through cricket to pay it off.

At one point, he considered quitting his passion and sought his brother’s assistance in finding work. Unfortunately, he could only find work as a domestic servant. Rinku, determined to make it in cricket, refused to give up. His efforts were rewarded as he was coveted by both the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 IPL auction. The promising 20-year-old was signed by KKR for a staggering Rs. 80 lakh after a bidding battle.

“Socha tha 20 lakh mein jaoonga, (thought I would get Rs 20 lakhs), but I was picked up for 80! The first thought that came to the mind was that I can contribute in my big brother’s wedding, and save up something for my sister’s wedding too. Aur ek achhe se ghar mein shift ho jaoonga,” Rinku told the The Indian Express.

Cricket Career

Rinku started playing cricket about a decade ago in a place where the sport is extremely popular. Due to his talent as an aggressive batter, he was picked to represent Uttar Pradesh’s under-16 team in 2013, and a few years later, he was also selected for the under-19 squad. Rinku Singh, while coming from a humble background, has had to overcome various challenges to attain his current position. His father is an LPG delivery worker, while his brother is an auto-rickshaw driver.

Rinku Singh joined in a Mumbai Indians camp in 2013 and hit a brilliant 95 off 31 deliveries, demonstrating his ability as a player. Most recently, in 2018, he scored 91 not out off 44 balls in Uttar Pradesh’s Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Tripura. Rinku Singh will have a tremendous opportunity to develop and improve as a cricketer with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) club, which has a plethora of local Indian talent as well as top-class overseas players. He will surely benefit from this experience.

KKR And Rinku Singh

Rinku was an exceptional young Indian talent who was supported by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad. Kings XI Punjab signed him in 2017 for a basic salary of Rs. 10 lakhs. Nevertheless, Rinku’s value skyrocketed in the 2018 auction, when he was sold to KKR for Rs. 80 lakhs, four times his base price of Rs. 20 lakhs. Despite just scoring 29 runs in four games, KKR elected to keep him as a dangerous middle-order hitter.

KKR offered the left-handed batter more opportunities in 2022 than in previous seasons, and Rinku took advantage of them. He scored 172 runs at a respectable 174 runs per innings and almost pulled off a sensational run chase against the Lucknow Super Giants with a magnificent 15-ball 40. Despite the fact that KKR lost by two runs, Rinku’s performance was remarkable.

Also Read: Shikhar Dhawan played one of the best T20 innings I have ever seen: Brian Lara (cricfiles.com)