• KKR captain Nitish Rana lauded Rinku Singh for his heroics in the ongoing IPL.

  • Rinku took KKR home against Punjab Kings with a boundary off the last ball.

“From Russell..Russell to Rinku..Rinku..”: KKR skipper Nitish Rana opens up on Rinku Singh’s journey at the IPL
Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana | IPLT20

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh made a name for himself as a ‘finisher’ by hitting five consecutive sixes against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Match 13 of the in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Since then, he has continued to be a consistent performer for the Knight Riders, establishing himself as one of the most reliable players in the team.

In the recently-concluded match against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Rinku once again proved his worth as he hit a boundary off the last ball to take KKR over the line with 5 wickets in hand. The fans at Eden Gardens acknowledged his heroics with loud chants of ‘Rinku… Rinku’, reminiscent of the chants that are reserved for West Indies superstar Andre Russell.

KKR captain Nitish Rana was pleased with Rinku’s performance and proud to see the crowd chanting his name.

“Main sirf usko yahi bol raha hun ki believe rakh apne pe, kyunki jo tune kiya hai voh shayad life mein bahut players nahi kar paayenge, aur agar tu voh kar sakta hai toh kuch bhi kar sakta hai. Jab voh batting kar raha hai, poora crowd Rinku Rinku bol raha tha, mere khayal se isne wahi kamaya hai iss saal (I keep telling him to believe in himself, because what you have done (5 sixes in KKR vs GT game), don’t think anyone ever will. So if you can do that, you can do anything. When he was batting, the whole crowd was going ‘Rinku Rinku’ and I think this is what he has earned this season),” Rana said at the post-match presentation.

The home team was pretty much in the game while chasing 180 for victory, thanks to a solid start given by their top-order batters.

When Rana got out in the 16th over, KKR needed 51 runs to win with Russell and Rinku at the crease. The duo hit four sixes and three fours in the next three overs, bringing the required run-rate to just 6 in the final over.

After Russell got run out on the penultimate delivery, the fans at Eden Gardens began chanting for Rinku, and he did not disappoint as he hit the winning boundary in the last ball.

“Mere goosebumps khade ho jaate hain yeh dekh ke ki yahi Rinku ne kamaya hai. 6 saal ho gaye mujhe yahan khelte hue, pehle jab Russell Russell bolte the toh accha lagta tha kyunki Russell ne voh sab pehle Kiya hua hai but ab jab poora crowd Rinku Rinku bolta hai mujhe bahut khushi hoti hai (I get goosebumps seeing that. I have been with this franchise for six years. Earlier when the crowd chanted ‘Russell Russell’, it felt good seeing that since he has done that time and again but when they do the same with Rinku, I just feel very happy for him,” added Rana.

TAGS:

CATEGORY: IPL Rinku Singh

For latest cricket news and updates, subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter.

About the Author:
Anirudh is the Head of Content at CricketTimes.com. He is a seasoned journalist and content writer with 12 years of experience in the field of cricket. With over 9,000 published articles under his belt, Anirudh brings a creative and strategic approach to his work, always striving to deliver content that resonates with audiences. A die-hard sports fan who loves playing, watching and talking about cricket. Cricket is his Religion & 'Sachin Tendulkar' his GOD. His motto of life is Eat, Sleep, Cricket, REPEAT!! You can write to him at anirudh@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Linkedin.