“I am doing everything for my family and the hard times are now over,” says Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh, a player with the Kolkata Knight Riders, has been one of the finds of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season, in a chat with NDTV, Rinku opened up on a variety of topics, including his performance and his modest possessions.

Rinku Singh, a player with the Kolkata Knight Riders, has been one of the finds of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. The batsman defeated the defending champion Gujarat Titans with five consecutive sixes on the final five balls of the game, giving his side a historically significant victory. 

The match went down in the history of the league, with Rinku embedding his name in the book of epic run-chases with golden letters. In a chat with NDTV, Rinku opened up on a variety of topics, including his performance and his modest possessions.

The fact that Rinku has never come from a wealthy family, is not an unknown secret. To make ends meet, his father still carries gas cylinders from house to house. It’s understandable that before Rinku became a professional cricketer, his family was heavily in debt. But now, those days of hardships are behind him.

“I am doing everything for my family. The hard times are now over. I told my father to leave his job. He has been working for 30 years. When I asked him to quit, he insisted on continuing. I and my brothers used to go from door to door to deliver gas cylinders with our father. My father used to be against me playing cricket. He wanted me to work with him and contribute money. Mom used to support me,”

Rinku said while speaking to NDTV in an exclusive interview.

When asked if this could be a turning point in his career, Rinku said that it was the best innings of his life so far.

When asked about his aspirations for Team India, Rinku said that his focus is presently on doing well for the franchise in this IPL.

When he was a teenager, Rinku played cricket with his brothers, but he is the only one who turned that passion into a profession. Another younger brother of his, however, is looking to follow in the elder brother’s footsteps.

“I have a younger brother who has started cricket. He is quite interested. When it comes to getting an IPL contract, it all depends on how hard he works and hones his skills.

“It’s tough to get into IPL. First, you have to make a name for yourself in domestic cricket. It’s been 6-7 years since I have been playing. We also need the team’s support to do well,” Rinku further said.