With Borrowed Bat, Rinku Singh’s Self-belief Takes KKR to Unimaginable Win

Rinku Singh is not your regular modern day cricketer.

Don’t let the big tattoo on his right forearm or massive following on Instagram fool you as the 25-year-old is untouched by glitz and glamour. The Aligarh boy has developed into a big match-winner for his state Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit and for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, but remains deeply connected to the soil he comes from.

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The IPL stint ushered in a steady flow of money into the Singh family, which was struggling to make ends meet, but they had to wait almost six years for this blockbuster moment. Having made his debut in the cash-rich league in 2018 (missing a game for KXIP in the 2017 season), the diminutive southpaw has cemented his place in IPL folklore, hitting five consecutive sixes in the last over of the IPL. IPL 2023 Match against Gujarat Titans on Sunday.

With steely nerves and a cold demeanor, Rinku did the unimaginable, the unimaginable and the unbelievable. He stood like a rock and gave the necklace of his life to his UP colleague Yash Dayal. Not a single hit was premeditated, not a single movement showed panic, and not once did he try to do anything outlandish or silly. He played each delivery on merit and served a masterclass on staying calm under pressure. extreme pressure!

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Before the last-over heroics, Rinku was divided on social media about getting ahead of Andre Russell and even Sunil Narine, who was derailed by Rashid Khan’s hat-trick over. The chatter intensified after Rinku’s slow start – 8 from 14 balls – but the left-hander shut them all down. How else! He hit six sixes and a four in the next seven balls to get two points out of nowhere for Kolkata Knight Riders.

Rinku is an emotion

After hitting the winning run, Rinku ran towards the dugout, punched his chest and nearly lost his balance. These grunts and aggression were winning but all you could do was smile and appreciate the moment. His story and journey is full of difficulties and hurdles, but he faces them with a smile on his lips. With infectious energy and positivity, Rinku bats with a lot of confidence and clearly enjoys playing steals for KKR. They put up an almost similar performance against Lucknow Super Giants last year but got the job done against Gujarat Titans.

He hugged his captain and long-time friend Nitish Rana and drenched in the moment as teammates jumped up and celebrated a special knock. Even veteran coach Chandrakant Pandit couldn’t hide his emotions as he hugged the left-handed batsman after the win. What followed was a video call with regular skipper Shreyas Iyer and the grace with which he spoke during the conversation is a rare sight these days. “God’s plan,” he told Shreyas, possibly in reference to rapper Drake’s famous song, during the phone call, and the smile never left his lips.

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A “Tera yaar hoon main“Reels followed but the story of the day came to us when Rana revealed that Rinku used his bat for the win.

loan bat

Rana decided to change his bat for this fixture and not use the willow used for some of the games last season – the entire Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the first two fixtures of IPL 2023. The Delhi batsman got a request for a bat from Rinku for this game and when he gave him the options, he was certain that Rinku would pick up the piece.

,Mai dena nahi chahta tha (Bat of the match) But someone from inside took the bat and I knew Rinku would pick up this bat as it was a good pickup and a bit lighter. It belongs to Rinku, it is not mine now. Le liya usne mere se [I didn’t want to give him the bat but someone from inside got it. I knew he would pick this one because it has a good pickup and is slightly light. Now it is Rinku’s, not mine. He took it from me]said Rana in a video uploaded by KKR on social media.

The bat used by Rinku had Rana’s initials “NR 27” engraved on it, but would be stamped “RS 35” (Rinku’s initials and jersey number) and would find a place in the three-storey house in Aligarh’s Rambagh Colony .

Self-confidence

Rinku’s self-confidence oozes from his demeanor on and off the field. He has scored several wins out of nowhere for Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit and is now making a similar impact for KKR in the IPL. It’s not over till Rinku is finished and the opposition won’t dare write off KKR when the left-hander is still out in the middle. He backs himself, backs his skills and immense self-belief does the rest.

Before starting his cricketing journey, about 13 years ago Rinku was forced to do cleaning work to financially support his family. He turned it down and assured his mother that he would do it with his cricket and not by sweeping and mopping dirty floors. He was determined to make it big, and he did.

Rinku climbed the ladder with consistent performances in the domestic circuit, getting selected for India A before being banned by the BCCI, stalled the next step, suffered injuries, and was not getting enough playing time in the IPL , But he didn’t do it. stop believing

He’ll probably get more ink on his body, some diamond studs on his ears, a funky hairstyle, and more definition in his beard in the future, but will remain the boy from Aligarh who dreamed big and conquered them – a smile upon a smile. Time.

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