Consistency pays off as KKR retain Rinku Singh
The UP cricketer has been rewarded for his crucial knocks by the IPL franchise
Consistency is the key to success for Uttar Pradesh’s Rinku Singh and the trait paid him rich dividends early this week when two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retained him for the fifth successive season.
“If you are consistent, success will automatically come your way. That is what happened with me. I am happy to be with KKR as I have learnt many things while playing for the side since 2018,” Rinku said on Friday.
“For me, performance is everything, and I try to give my 200% on the field. Be it batting, fielding, catching or bowling, I always remain focused on my game. I enjoy my batting and the dressing room environment with others in the KKR camp,” he added.
Despite being a fringe player in the squad in the first four years, Rinku, who was bought by two-time champions KKR for the first time in 2018 for ₹80 lakh, was picked up again by the franchise for ₹55 lakh. From 2018 to 2021, Rinku made 10 appearances for the Knights, but a pretty productive season in IPL 2022 changed the franchise’s mood.
Though the side finished in seventh position and failed to qualify for the playoffs, Rinku did his bit, scoring 174 runs in seven matches at an average of 34.80 and a strike rate of 148.72. He played several crucial knocks in the lower middle order, including a 23-ball 42 against Rajasthan Royals and a 15-ball 40 against Lucknow Super Giants.
“I call it a turnaround. In the first four seasons, I couldn’t prove myself, but I didn’t lose my confidence and kept working hard for 2022 season. I did score a lot of runs in domestic cricket for Uttar Pradesh and even the new season has been quite good for me,” said Rinku, who has scored four half centuries this season, including 78 against Punjab in UP’s last league match in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy last month.
Rinku’s performance at the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy is a testimony to his consistency. Before hitting a match-winning unbeaten 78 against Hyderabad on Thursday, he scored an unbeaten 68 against Gujarat and 82 against Tripura besides making 20 against Himachal Pradesh.
“I always feel proud to play for Uttar Pradesh as my showing for the state team has given me everything in the sport. I enjoy scoring piles of runs for UP. In every match, I start afresh and try to play for the team, not for myself,” he said.
Rinku missed out the first half of IPL 2021 due to an injury he suffered during in that year’s Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the franchise stood by him throughout his recovery process.
“It took me a long time to recover. It was a tough phase too, but KKR stood by me at the time. The injury was serious as I was diagnosed with a herniated disc. KKR looked after me during that phase and it’s because of them that I’ve managed to come back strong,” he said.
Son of an LPG cylinder supplier, Rinku’s consistency in all forms of cricket has been a big boost to the Uttar Pradesh cricket. He has scored over 5000 runs across formats in domestic cricket, including 2433 in 33 first-class matches, which also includes five centuries and 17 half-centuries. “I love playing in all forms of cricket and every match comes with a different kind of responsibility,” said Rinku, who has high hopes in the next season.
“Yes, scoring big runs and helping the side win as matches would once again be on top of my agenda and I am ready for that,” said Rinku who will pad up for UP against Chandigarh in a Vijay Hazare Trophy game in Delhi on Saturday.
