The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) finished their IPL 2023 run on Saturday with a narrow loss to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). While KKR’s loss took them out of the playoff race, LSG managed to secure the third spot in the points table.
Although KKR’s campaign didn’t turn out to be a success they for sure have made a great discovery in Rinku Singh.
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Rinku carved out a niche for himself after he chased down 29 runs in the last over in the match against Gujrat Titans with five back-to-back sixes in April, thus turning around an almost-lost game. On Saturday also Rinku seemed to have set out for a similar mission but fell short by just one run.
IPL 2023: Full coverage | Points table | Schedule | Results | Orange Cap | Purple Cap
KKR needed 21 off the final over against LSG, and Rinku smashed a couple of maximums and a boundary, but he still could get only 19 runs.
Although he couldn’t win the match for his side, he still managed to stand out as the fan favourite for the audacious attempt and won praise from many, including the mentor of the opponent team Gautam Gambhir.
Despite his lower-order batting position, the Aligarh boy finished as the leading run-scorer for KKR with 474 runs in 14 innings at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52.
This impressive performance led former Australia cricketer Tom Moody to place Rinku in the league with some of the greats from Down Under like Michael Bevan and Michael Hussey.
“Without a doubt, because he’s got the game, he’s got a strong foundation to his name. He averages nearly 60 in first-class cricket. He hasn’t just sort of been plucked out of nowhere as a really good ball striker, without any pedigree.
Read: Rinku Singh not thinking about India call-up
“He’s got pedigree to his game. He’s got technique. He’s got great balance and composure at the crease, and he’s been in pressure situations in other formats of the game,” Moody said during an interaction on ESPNcricinfo.
“One of the most impressive things is his temperament and the best finishers generally have really calculated minds but also very calm minds under pressure and he seems to have that.
“Look, I don’t know him personally, I’ve never worked with him, but just as an observer and a fan, I look at it and think this guy’s composed. He’s in control. And I’ve seen that before in players historically like Michael Bevan, who I’ve played quite a bit of cricket with. In 50-over cricket, he had that trait of just you’re thinking the games getting away from him but he’s got it absolutely under control. Mike Hussey of more recent than Michael Bevan. They seem to just understand how to finish a game in a very calm and composed way,” the ex-cricketer noted.
Moody also speculated about him getting a chance to play for Team India in the T20 World Cup next year.
“He’s proving that he is very capable of holding down that specialist role. He’s a gun fielder as well. So you’re adding to your fielding dynamic. And that World Cup is far away. It’s not like it’s in two months’ time like the 50 over world cup. We’re talking next year and he’s going to play another IPL between now and then. And if he continues to do this, he’s an absolute shoo-in.”
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