Aligarh: Rinku Singh, a young 25-year-old batter, played an unbeaten knock of 48(21)* against Gujarat Titans and gave Kolkata Knight Riders fans something to remember forever.
KKR chased down a target of 205 against the defending champions Gujarat Titans and Rinku Singh was at the heart of that massive chase. Last year Rinku found himself in a similar situation against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022. He paved the way for KKR's victory but failed to finish the job. However, this time he ensured that his team won.
His father Khanchands saw his son create magic on television hitting five successive sixes against Yash Dayal.
While speaking to ANI Rinku's father said, "I didn't prepare him he did it all by himself. I didn't buy him a bat or anything else. After some time he played in the stadium and scored runs for his team. At that time I used to say to him that he should focus on his studies, you will gain nothing by playing cricket. He didn't focus on his studies at all. He scored runs in the tournament and everybody said that your kid plays well after that I told him that if you want to play cricket you can play cricket," Khanchand said.
The sheer quality that Rinku displayed last night against Gujarat Titans showcased his potential as a batter who is capable of finishing games for his team.
While KKR fans celebrate Rinku's heroics, his father has bigger plans for the upcoming years.
"I am very happy with the way he won the match for KKR yesterday. In the future I want him to play cricket for the Indian cricket team," Khanchand said. Rinku Singh will be back in action for KKR in IPL 2023 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday at Eden Gardens.
—ANI