Xtra Time Web Desk: How was the turnaround possible for him in IPL 2022 season? Did he ever feel he will get picked at the IPL 2022 mega auctions by Kolkata Knight Riders? It’s been a season of turnaround for Rinku Singh.
Rinku, who played just 10 IPL games across five seasons, scored just 77 runs but this season alone has seen him triple the tally, including a thrill-a-minute rear guard 15-ball 40 against the Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday night’s final league stage fixture for KKR.
With the 2022 mega-auction dynamics and lack of game time due to a season riddled with injuries, he feared for his chances of being retained by KKR or, for that matter, getting picked again in the IPL.
“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,” said Rinku in an interview to www.kkr.in
He added, “My father didn’t eat for 2-3 days,” added Singh, who is the sole breadwinner for his family. “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.”
A lengthy period of rehabilitation and recovery was followed by doubts over ability but the silver lining was it had made him mentally tough providing a lesson in endurance. The franchise stepped in and Venky Mysore, CEO of the Knight Riders Group, provided for his surgery and rehab which was carried out in Mumbai.
Having played just seven games this season, Rinku breathed a new lease of life and injected impetus down the order by scoring 174 runs at an average of 34.80, only Andre Russell has a higher average, at a strike rate of 148.71, the third-highest behind Russell and Sunil Narine.