Rinku Singh, who nearly pulled off an incredible heist for the Kolkata Knight Riders against Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday, revisited the tough times he endured a year ago.
Quinton de Kock smashed an unbeaten 140, the third highest score in IPL history, on Wednesday, but the evening could have belonged to Rinku Singh, who nearly won the game for KKR with his memorable blitz.
Rinku tonked 40 off 15, 16 off which came on the first four balls of the final over, before being dismissed by a stunning Evin Lewis catch which helped LSG clinch a thrilling two-run win.
This wasn’t the first time the left-hander made a mark with his batting this year. Earlier in the competition, he smashed an unbeaten 42 off 23 against a strong Rajasthan Royals outfit to power KKR to a seven-wicket win.
The journey though hasn’t been smooth for the 24-year-old, who missed the whole of 2021 season with knee injury, and had doubts whether he would be picked again at the auctions.
“Last year was quite tough for me as I got a knee injury during the Vijay Hazare Trophy while running a second run,” Singh told kkr.in. “The moment I fell, I thought of the IPL. They told me I needed an operation and would require seven months to recover. I wasn’t happy staying away from cricket for so long.”
“My father didn’t eat for 2-3 days,” he added. “I told him it’s just an injury and it’s a part of cricket. I’m the sole breadwinner of my family and when such a thing happens, it is bound to be worrisome. I was a bit sad but I knew I would recover quickly as I had a lot of self belief.”
That was a game and a half!🔥
A total of 1️⃣3️⃣4️⃣ runs were scored in the last 4 overs of both the innings combined!
LSG made good use of the wickets in hand & accelerated well, while KKR came from behind, & almost pulled off a miracle, thanks to Rinku Singh & Narine!#KKRvsLSG pic.twitter.com/VDbnUsaDLZ
— Stat Doctor🩺 (@stat_doctor) May 18, 2022
Rinku also thanked the KKR team management for their constant support during the tough times.
“Kamlesh Sir [Jain, head physiotherapist of the team] told me KKR is ready to help me. They have always supported me,” he said.
“I used to watch the IPL on TV and was sad to miss the action with everyone practicing but had to miss it because of an injury. Phase one was alright but phase two was exceptional to watch after the team reached the final.”
Abhishek Nayar, KKR’s assistant coach, believed that the break helped Rinku become mentally tough.
“Once he was out of the six week period and out of the crutches, he started working out more in the gym and felt more confident because initially that apprehension is always there if i’ll be able to play the sport again when you undergo a surgery,” explained Nayar.
“Going through rehab for four months and suddenly nobody is talking about Rinku Singh, not knowing whether he will be picked in the auction, not sure where his career is going after the IPL. Just for him to retrospect and spend some time understanding where his game is at. I think that has brought a lot of maturity in his game.
“I think it made him mentally quite tough. He understood the severity of injury having undergone surgery and rehabilitation.”
Rinku finished the season with 174 runs at 34.80, while maintaining a strike-rate of 148.72.
