Better late than never. Rinku Singh finally arrived in the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), taking the Kolkata Knight Riders home against the Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens on Sunday evening. Rinku remained unbeaten on 53 to help the Knight Riders knock off 155 in a close chase, allowing KKR to finally register themselves on the points table. Rinku’s knock was long overdue. Rising to fame with the iconic five sixes he struck off Yash Dayal in IPL 2023, Rinku had endured a tough season until the last game, with scores of 33, 35*, 4, 6 and 1 previously, but when it mattered the most, in a crunch situation, the left-hander got the job done for himself and the team.
After the match, Anukul Roy, who was with Rinku in an unbeaten stand of 76, in a chat with his partner, described the proceedings as they happened. A pivotal moment in the game unfolded when Rinku, batting on 8, top-edged a heave, but to his luck, Nandre Burger put down the simplest of catches at short third man. After the reprieve, Rinku revealed the thoughts that had run through his mind.
Also Read: INR 96 lakh mistake; Rinku Singh receives early Diwali gift from Nandre Burger during KKR vs RR match
“After the catch went down, I spoke to myself a little. Ramandeep Singh told me we have to stretch it till the end. I played that stroke because the boundaries weren’t coming. Thank god, the catch didn’t come through,” Rinku told Roy. “Our partnership was very crucial. This was the last recognised batting pair. Usually, we are roommates; we keep talking about cricket. And today we finally got the chance to bat together and win the game for our team.”
Five more sixes loading
Rinku credited Roy for his 29 not out off 16 balls, with one four and two sixes. The left-handed batting duo accelerated in the nick of time, and since Rinku and Anukul knew each other for five years, it was only fitting that the two took the team over the finish line in a much-anticipated win for the three-time IPL champions.
Rinku cracked five fours and two sixes, with Anukul enjoying from the best seat in the house. The win, as Anukul said, put smiles back on KKR and the fanbase’s faces, and now that Rinku has fired away, he expects a repeat of the famous fives sixes. “Those fives sixes…,” said Anukul before Rinku completed the sentence, “are loading, slow and steady.