The former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has expressed that Rinku Singh is highly regarded by his teammates in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) dressing room due to his dedication to the sport. On Sunday, April 9th, Rinku played a crucial role in KKR’s victory against the defending champions, Gujarat Titans, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Following Rinku’s exceptional performance, Indian film superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who co-owns KKR, shared a tweet commending him and affectionately referred to him as his ‘baby’.
Harbhajan Singh, speaking on his YouTube channel, commented on the high regard and adoration that Rinku Singh receives from everyone in the KKR dressing room, including the team owner. He said, “He is one such player who is not known by many people. He has been a part of KKR team for so many years now. He is the fondest player of the team and everyone loves him. Even Khan Saab (SRK) said that day that he is like my son. It is all because he gives every ounce of his energy whenever he gets the chance to play a match.”
Harbhajan on Rinku: “His Confidence Will Only Grow and He Will Become a Great Player”
Harbhajan Singh praised Rinku Singh for his outstanding performance in the match against Gujarat Titans, where he remained unbeaten on 48 runs off 21 balls, with an impressive strike rate of 228.57. In the last seven balls he faced, Rinku smashed 40 runs, including five consecutive sixes in the final over against Yash Dayal, leading KKR to a remarkable victory. Speaking highly of the 25-year-old’s incredible innings, Harbhajan Singh commended Rinku’s impressive display of skill and determination and said, “Today he smashed five sixes and to do that in a pressure situation is a big achievement. Had he missed one ball there then the match would have been lost.”
Harbhajan Singh also noted how he shone in the presence of established players in the KKR batting lineup, and added
“I think this was the best match of this IPL season. Who would have thought when players like Russell, Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer are present (in KKR batting line-up) but he will come and win everyone’s hearts. It was unbelievable and I am sure from here onwards Rinku’s confidence will only grow and he will become a great player.”
The Kolkata Knight Riders will be playing their next match against the SunRisers Hyderabad on April 14th at their home ground Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata.