Kolkata Knight Riders middle-order batter Rinku Singh revealed that those five sixes against the Gujarat Titans this season to stun the defending champions were a game-changer in his career. However, the left-hander revealed that his concentration is on the processes and not thinking about the Indian team selection.
Rinku almost took the Knight Riders over the line against the Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday, staying unbeaten at 67 off 33 balls in pursuit of 177. The 23-year-old got 19 of the 21 runs required in the final over, including two sixes and a boundary.
The Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer admitted that the innings against the Titans grabbed plenty of eyeballs and made his family happy. Rinku also underlined that he doesn't want to get ahead of himself and continue the hard work.
"Anyone will feel good when the season goes so well. But I'm not thinking on the lines of selection for the Indian team. I will stick to my routine, continue my practice. The name and fame will be there but I'll just stick to my work. My family members are very happy. A lot of things have worked well. When I played that innings last year, people started noticing me. After I hit those five sixes, I started getting a lot of respect from the people and now a lot of people recognise me. So it feels good," he said in the post-match press conference.
Nitish Rana heaps praise on Rinku Singh:
KKR skipper Nitish Rana said he is falling short of words to describe Rinku's achievements in IPL 2023 and backs him to do anything when on song.
"I think it feels like all 14 matches I've spoken about Rinku. I am personally very happy for him the way the season has gone for him. He is quite close to me and I know how much hard work he has done. I don't really have words to describe him because the entire country knows what he has done. If he can bat in situations like these, he can do anything."
The one-run loss meant that the Knight Riders are out of the competition and the Super Giants qualified for the playoffs.
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
