Watch: Rinku Singh reveals why he wrote 50 on his palm before KKR vs RR match
Rinku Singh scored a quickfire 23-ball 42 and stitched an unbeaten 66-run stand with Nitish Rana (48 not out) as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated in-form Rajasthan Royals (RR) seven wickets to snap their five-match losing streak in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday.
Self-belief 🙌Game-changing partnership 🔥Finishing touch 🔝
The power-packed duo of @NitishRana_27 and @rinkusingh235 sum up @KKRiders‘ Wankhede victory. 👌 👌 – @28anand
Full interview 📹 🔽 #TATAIPL | #KKRvRR https://t.co/fxeOCWsfvl pic.twitter.com/osWnispe6U
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 3, 2022
In a conversation with Nitish Rana after the match, Rinku admitted that he had written ’50’ on his palm before going to sleep on Sunday night. Rinku said, ‘I was feeling like I would score runs today, be the man of the match and I myself wrote 50 with my own hand.. and made heart.’
KKR batters found the going tough on a slow paced Wankhede pitch, where shot-making wasn’t easy.
Baba Indrajith (15) was bounced out Prasidh Krishna soon but captain Shreyas Iyer (34 off 32) and Nitish Rana batted sensible to help KKR reach fifty in nine overs. Rinku arrived in the middle, when KKR were in the muddle. They needed 61 runs from 43 balls and had just lost their skipper.
Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh are all smiles for the #IPLSelfie after @KKRiders win against #RR.#TATAIPL #KKRvRR pic.twitter.com/olJdUx0PAY
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 2, 2022
Singh marked his arrival at the crease with a boundary off the first ball. Needing 46 off 30 balls, the left-handed had to do something. Facing the pacy Kuldeep Sen, he decided to do a Rishabh Pant. It was a full-length ball on the legs and Rinku leaned forward, flexed his knee, collapsed his arms and played a wonderful pick-up shot over backward square-leg for a six.
On his match-winning knock the Aligarh-born lad said: “I was waiting for a long time to get a Player of the Match. It came after 5 years but it came at last.”
“” is an emotion! 😁@rinkusingh235 • #KnightsInAction presented @glancescreen | #KKRHaiTaiyaar #KKRvRR #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/mRHWfbm2ZX
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 2, 2022
Samson’s decision to bring Chahal back into the attack in the 18th over backfired as Singh took his chances against the spinner and struck consecutive fours to make it 18 off last 12 balls.
Singh continued his onslaught against Prasidh, who conceded 17 runs in the penultimate over, which included two boundaries from the left-hander’s blade, as KKR wrapped up the match in style.
Said it. Did it. 👊@rinkusingh235 #KKRHaiTaiyaar #KKRvRR #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/3q3xgyoIOC
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) May 2, 2022
“A lot of players have played Ranji from Aligarh, but I am the first to play in the IPL. This is a big league and there is a lot of pressure obviously. I have been waiting for the last five years to get a chance,” Rinku said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
With this win the struggling KKR has resurrected their campaign and now they will be up against high-flying Lucknow Super Giants in Pune on May 7.
