With borrowed bat, rinku singh's self-belief takes kkr to unimaginable win - news18

Reported By : Last Updated:April 10, 2023, 09:46 IST RINKU DID THE UNTHINKABLE, THE UNIMAGINABLE, AND THE UNBELIEVABLE. HE STOOD LIKE A ROCK AND GAVE HIS UP TEAMMATE YASH DAYAL THE HAMMERING

OF HIS LIFE Rinku Singh is not your regular modern-day cricketer. Don’t let the big tattoo on his right forearm or the massive following on Instagram fool you as the 25-year-old remains

untouched by the glitz and glamour. The boy from Aligarh has grown into a massive match-winner for his state Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL but

remains deeply rooted in the soil he comes from. RECOMMENDED STORIES ORANGE CAP: CHECK OUT FULL LIST FOR TOP BATTERS IN ORANGE CAP RACE IPL stints initiated a steady inflow of money into the

Singh household, which had struggled to make ends meet, but they had to wait nearly six years for this blockbuster moment. After making his debut in the cash-rich league in 2018 (didn’t get

a game for KXIP in the 2017 season), the diminutive southpaw carved his place in the IPL folklore with five consecutive sixes in the last over of the IPL 2023 contest against Gujarat Titans

on Sunday. With nerves of steel and an ice-cold temperament, Rinku did the unthinkable, the unimaginable, and the unbelievable. He stood like a rock and gave his UP teammate Yash Dayal the

hammering of his life. Not one hit was premeditated, not one movement showed panic, and not once did he look to do something different or silly. He played each delivery on merit and served a

masterclass on staying cool under pressure. Immense pressure! IPL 2023 POINTS TABLE: CHECK TEAM STANDINGS, TEAM POINTS, WINS, LOSSES & ORANGE CAP,  PURPLE CAP Before the last-over

heroics, the social media was divided about Rinku coming ahead of Andre Russell and even Sunil Narine in the mammoth chase which was derailed by Rashid Khan’s hat-trick over. The chatter

grew louder after Rinku’s slow start – 14-ball 8 – but the left-hander shut everyone up. And how! He hit six sixes and one four off the next seven deliveries he faced and pocketed two points

out of nowhere for the Kolkata Knight Riders. RINKU IS AN EMOTION After hitting the winning runs, Rinku dashed towards the dugout, punched his chest, and nearly lost his balance. These were

winning grunts and aggression but all you could do was smile and applaud the moment. His is a story and a journey littered with hardships and obstacles but he fought them through, with a

smile on his lips. With infectious energy and positivity, Rinku bats with a lot of self-belief and clearly enjoys pulling off heists for KKR. He nearly did something spectacularly similar

against Lucknow Super Giants last year but got the job done against Gujarat Titans. He hugged his skipper and long-time friend Nitish Rana and soaked in the moment as teammates jumped in and

celebrated a special knock. Even veteran coach Chandrakant Pandit couldn’t hide his emotions and was pumped up when he hugged the left-hander after the win. There was a video call with

regular skipper Shreyas Iyer next and the humility with which he talked during the conversation is a rare sight these days. “God’s plan," he said to Shreyas, possibly a reference to the

famous song by rapper Drake, during the phone call, and the smile never left his lips. IPL 2023: PURPLE CAP COMPLETE LIST OF BATTERS WITH MOST RUNS, CHECK HERE A “_tera yaar hoon

main_" reel followed but the story of the day came our way when Rana revealed that Rinku used his bat to fashion the win. BORROWED BAT Rana decided to change his bat for this fixture

and didn’t use the willow he used for some games last season – the entire Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the first two fixtures of IPL 2023. The Delhi batter got a request from Rinku for the

bat for this game and when he gave him the options, he was certain Rinku will pick that piece. “_Mai dena nahi chahta tha_ (the match bat) but someone from inside got the bats and I knew

Rinku will pick this bat because it had a good pickup and slightly light. Rinku ka hi hai ye, mera nahi hai ab. _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 it will be stamped with “RS 35" (Rinku’s initials and jersey number) and find a place in the

three-story house in the Rambagh colony of Aligarh. SELF-BELIEF From his conduct on and off the field, Rinku oozes self-belief. He has fashioned numerous victories 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 done and the opposition will not dare to write KKR off when the left-hander

is still out in the middle. He backs himself, backs his skills and immense self-belief does the rest. Before his cricketing journey took shape, Rinku, around 13 years back, was forced to

take up cleaning work to financially support his family. He turned it down and assured his mother that he will do so with his cricket and not by mopping and sweeping dirty floors. He was

determined to make it big, and he did. Rinku climbed the ladder with consistent shows in the domestic circuit, was selected for India A before a ban by BCCI halted the next step, faced an

injury set-back, and was not getting enough game-time in the IPL but he didn’t stop believing. He will probably get more ink on his body, some diamond studs on the ear, a funky hairstyle,

and more definition in the beard in the future but will continue to be the boy from Aligarh who dreamt big and conquered them — one smile at a time. Get the latest Cricket News, IPL 2023

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