It just isn’t working out for Rinku Singh. The left-handed batter has looked a pale shadow of himself in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, and he can’t seem to buy a run at this point. His troubles compounded on Friday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad against the Gujarat Titans, where he lasted just two balls in the middle, scoring one run. In the five innings he has come out to bat this year, the KKR vice-captain has managed just 79 runs, with his highest being 33 not out against the Mumbai Indians.
To make matters worse, the KKR management has also not shown sufficient faith in the left-hander’s abilities, as the match against the Gujarat Titans proved. Even Anukul Roy was sent higher than Rinku, and he came out to bat at No.7. However, his stay was a short one as he was sent back to the hut by Kagiso Rabada.
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary wasn’t pleased with the behaviour towards Rinku in the match against Gujarat, saying the need of the hour is to give the batter confidence, but the management is destroying it further.
“You changed the entire batting order. You sent Anukul Roy higher up. You just sent Rinku Singh an indirect signal that you don’t have any faith in him. Whoever is thinking in their right mind would send Rinku higher up, as he has been your asset for such a long time,” said Tiwary on Cricbuzz.
“Just look at Rinku, when he came back after getting out. He was completely heartbroken. He knew, deep inside, that it shouldn’t have happened to him. When you had to build his confidence, you did the exact opposite by sending Rinku down the order. If KKR continue playing like this, they will remain at the bottom,” he added.
Winless KKR
The three-time champions are yet to get a win on the board and remain at the bottom of the points table with just 1 point from six matches. This is the worst-ever start for the franchise in any season of the IPL. Tiwary said that, looking at the recent performances, it’s clear that the team atmosphere isn’t right within the KKR setup.
“KKR fans have seen three titles. But this year, your main bowlers got injured, but it wasn’t like that; all the strength was taken away. The team was still strong. But something is not right, be it the atmosphere or the combination,” said Tiwary.
“It was a disappointing performance,” he added.
KKR will next face off against the Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, April 19 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.