Young Indian batter Rinku Singh has said that he has seen his family face financial struggles and “wanted to help them overcome through cricket”.
In the first match of the three-match T20I series against Ireland on Friday, Indian batter Rinku Singh was given his T20 International debut. However, the match was hit by rain and Indian won through the DLS method. Rinku did not get a chance to showcase his skills with the bat.
Speaking to JioCinema, Rinku Singh spoke about his arduous journey and burning desire of earning his maiden India call up
“It is a nice feeling (being part of the Indian team setup) because I have worked very hard to reach here. I picked up cricket almost 10-12 years ago and the one goal my parents set for me was to represent the country. They felt IPL is played by so many but only a few get picked for the Indian team so they wanted me to make the most of my opportunities in IPL and get to the Indian team. And now their dream is about to come true,” he said.
Asked what he was doing when heard about India selection, an emotional cricketer said, “I was in Noida with my friends when I got a call about my selection. Immediately after the news I called my mother and she got very emotional. Listening to her emotion-laced voice, I couldn’t control the tears of happiness. They were waiting for this moment for a while now.”
“A lot of blood and sweat has gone behind to earn this call. My passion for the sport helped me wade through a lack of support and financial hardships. One thing that kept the desire burning was to give my family a good life, which was possible if I moved up the ladder in the sport. I had that self-belief and that made me stronger and helped me in my journey which has taken a new turn.”
“I have seen my family face financial struggles and I wanted to help them overcome through cricket. That desire to get them out of the grind kept me going. It kept me motivated to work hard and keep up my efforts. My family had a massive role in my journey to date. When they didn’t have enough to fund my career, my mother borrowed money from others to keep me going. Where I am today is because of the support I have got from them,” he added.
You have had impressive outings in IPL, how are you preparing yourself mentally for international cricket? He said, “The efforts are the same to be honest, but the pressure is a little more. The intention is to continue to do things the same way I did during the IPL, keep my calm during batting and focus on the role I have in the team.”
“I have achieved the first goal I set out to achieve, that is, to get selected for the Indian team. From here on, I will do everything within my capabilities, give my hundred per cent to achieve the team’s desired results and be in the mix for as long as I can.”
Rinku Singh can end up being a brilliant finisher like MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh: Kiran More
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Kiran More believes uncapped left-handed batter Rinku Singh has the potential to become a brilliant finisher, just like legendary batters MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.
Rinku excelled as a finisher for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2023, with the most notable moment being him smacking Gujarat Titans pacer Yash Dayal for five sixes on the last five balls of the match in Ahmedabad to seal an improbable victory.
Overall, Rinku scored 474 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 149.53 in the tournament, where he was the designated finisher for KKR. His strike-rate while batting in last five overs of the tournament shot up to 186.66, the best-ever for an Indian batter in the competition.
“I have been waiting for his opportunity in the Indian team. And that batting position, of No.5 and 6, he will perform well in that spot and can end up being a brilliant finisher. We all have seen MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. After that we haven’t got a player like them,” said More in a conversation with Jio Cinema.
On Friday, Rinku debuted for India in T20Is in the series opener against Ireland, but didn’t get to bat as rain meant the visitors won by two runs via DLS method. “We tried making such players, but it didn’t work so far. Tilak Varma is also there, he too can perform that role. Rinku is also a brilliant fielder. And I have seen him in domestic cricket as well, he has improved a lot I feel,” added More, a former chief selector.
Abhishek Nayar, the Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach who has worked closely with Rinku for the last six years, agreed with More’s views and pointed out that the left-handed batter is fit to bat at number five or six in T20Is.
“With Hardik Pandya transforming into a role of a batter and playing higher up the order, you need someone down the order who can finish off the job for you. You did have someone like Axar Patel for it, but Rinku is tailor-made.”
“He has been a prolific run-getter across formats in domestic cricket. It is just about grooming him and constantly giving those opportunities. The last player India had tagged as a finisher was Dinesh Karthik.”
“Hardik had performed that role terrifically as well, but he has now evolved as a batter who can take responsibility up the order. That is why the outlook towards Rinku should be the same as we are looking towards Tilak,” concluded Nayar, the former India all-rounder.
