Rinku Singh: 'One goal my parents set for me was to represent the country'

Aug 19, 2023 - 16:30

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Rinku Singh: 'One goal my parents set for me was to represent the country'

While Rinku Singh has the Indian Premier League (IPL) to thank to achieving fame and success at such an early stage in his career, the middle-order batter insists the goal was always to represent the Indian team down the road, something his parents had been dreaming of since his childhood.

On Friday, Rinku fulfilled that dream by getting his maiden international cap during the first T20I against Ireland in Malahide, making his debut alongside seamer Prasidh Krishna. Though he didn’t get to bat in the rain-truncated game, the memory of receiving the cap from stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the match will forever be a cherished one.

Before the tour opener at The Village in Malahide near the capital city of Dublin, Rinku had opened up on his journey and his ambition of donning the national kit and how his parents had always prioritised representing the nation over playing for franchises in a city-based T20 league.

“It is a nice feeling because I have worked very hard to reach here. I picked up cricket almost 10-12 years ago and the one goal my parents set for me was to represent the country.

“They felt IPL is played by so many but only a few get picked for the Indian team so they wanted me to make the most of my opportunities in IPL and get to the Indian team,” Rinku was quoted as saying on JioCinema ahead of the first T20I.

Rinku had been part of the Knight Riders setup since 2018 but only managed to get a full run throughout the season with a sensational run this year. The Uttar Pradesh left-handed batter became an overnight sensation after smashing state teammate Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes during a steep run chase against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. Rinku finished with 474 runs to his name in 14 matches, the only KKR batter finishing among the top-10 run-scorers at the end of the season.

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Despite his success in the IPL, Rinku wasn’t picked in the squad for the T20I series against the West Indies, something that had taken many by surprise. While he would later be named in the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led squad for the Asian Games that will be held in Hangzhou in September-October, the selectors decided to advance his debut by including him in the squad for Ireland.

Rinku further revealed the “tears of happiness” that he shed along with his family members after receiving news of his selection.

“I was in Noida with my friends when I got a call about my selection. Immediately after the news I called my mother and she got very emotional. Listening to her emotion-laced voice, I couldn’t control the tears of happiness. They were waiting for this moment for a while now.

“They were very happy. My mother always told me to work as hard as I can to earn the India call and that has happened now, so I am living their dream,” Rinku added.