(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] In an age where Spiderman, Superman and Batman are hailed as the superheroes, the cricketing world sees Rinku Singh as no lesser.
Much like the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rinku’s role for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 was to shield his frail team.
Injury to Shreyas Iyer, who was to captain KKR, acted as a debilitating agent. Lack of consistent openers, hit-and-miss Venkatesh Iyer and swagger-less Andre Russell increased the worries threefold.
But what are Superheroes made for? Against-the-odds situations!
Inhibiting disparate worlds where Rinku obviously has real anti-heroes in his story to compete with, he fought with valour and saved KKR more often than not.
The 25-year-old’s spirited show started off last year when his first note-worthy performance in the IPL helped KKR claim a win over Rajasthan Royals. Some labelled it as a quirk of fate. To their surprise, Rinku pulled another rabbit out of his hat, albeit his 15-ball 40 ended up in a losing cause in KKR’s last league match versus Lucknow Super Giants.
Amid his domestic grind that had Rinku enjoying an average of 59.89 and 53 in First-Class and List-A cricket respectively while also a strike-rate of 140.87 in T20 cricket glimmered in his resume, Rinku was thought to deal with the second-season syndrome in the IPL circuit.
He passed the test that not many have cracked.
Though he had already debuted in 2018, he danced in the spotlight in 2022 only – the year that marked the arrival of Rinku Singh.
The Aligarh-born did not take much time to take-off in 2023 either. His 46-run knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore was only a precursor to the enigma that lit up IPL 2023.
The one who rarely flinches
29 needed off the final over? Yash Dayal to bowl to Rinku and Umesh Yadav. The game is pretty much done. Right? Umesh takes a single and Rinku is back on strike with KKR now needing 28 off five balls. This surely must be it.
A full-toss and Rinku smacks it over extra cover for a biggie. Ah! That just reduces the deficit of the loss. Another gift by Dayal and Rinku accepts it and sends the ball over the ropes again. Just adding up to the artificial excitement.
Another full-toss and the southpaw clears the long-off boundary. Now, we are talking. Slower ball, slightly short, and Rinku powers it over long-on for a maximum. KKR is in front before the final delivery of the match.
Short again and Rinku has done the unimaginable. Something right out of a story.
This is how the emotions ranged during the Rinku-Dayal duel.
Hammering five sixes to seal off a run-chase in the final over, Rinku became a household name overnight. But the process leading up to his success was not ephemeral.
The pressure that comes with sudden expectations
Now that Rinku enjoyed the pride of people’s confidence in his abilities, he had to ensure that the five-sixes-like occurrences are not a one-off.
Come to think of it, the burden of expectations was so sudden that Rinku could have actually become a prisoner of his own mind.
However, buckling down under pressure was never an option for him. Had it been, Rinku would not have achieved what he has if not for his self-confidence which was put to the test on several occasions. To recall a few, he once had to reject a sweeper’s job offered to him. And not to forget that his father, who is a gas cylinder delivery man, was against him playing cricket in his initial days.
He doubled up on his game and backed his empowering knock against the Titans with scores of 58* (31), 53* (33), 46 (35), 54 (43), and 67* (33) mixed with belligerence.
“I had the belief since morning that we will win the match vs Punjab Kings and that I will score runs as well,” Rinku’s words after his match-winning innings versus Punjab Kings is a testament of his self-confidence.
How fitting it was that Rinku’s last innings in IPL 2023 completed his coming-of-age season and also reignited a deja vu that even his enchanting 67-run knock did not allow Kolkata a win versus Lucknow in a match that moved on the lines of previous year’s enthralling KKR-LSG saga.
Kissing the blue jersey
Like most of the Indian cricketers, Rinku’s ultimate goal as often is the case was to don the national jersey. His dream turned into reality.
Rinku’s career for India started in the Ireland T20I series. With India actively looking for a finisher in the T20Is, Rinku could be their man.
That biopic-esque weepy moment with the blue jersey has already hit Rinku’s life.
The superhero now would have to rescue India from the curse of the tournaments by being the saviour the team longs for, if given a chance. And he already has an Asian Games medal to start with.