Rinku Singh

In an age where Spiderman, Superman, and Batman are hailed as superheroes, the cricketing world sees Rinku Singh as no less. 

Rinku's cricketing roots trace back to around 2013, when he honed his skills playing for Uttar Pradesh's age-group teams. His aggressive batting style, characterized by clean-hitting and a fearless approach, was evident early on. A noteworthy innings of a 31-ball 95 during a Mumbai Indians camp foreshadowed the power he would unleash later in his career. However, his background presented challenges, but his determination to overcome them fueled his passion for the sport.

The year 2017 marked Rinku's entry into the IPL with Kings XI Punjab, now known as Punjab Kings. However, his true rise to prominence came in 2018, when the Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him for a significantly higher price tag. While initial opportunities were limited, his consistent performances in domestic tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy did not go unnoticed. KKR, impressed by his domestic exploits, decided to invest in his potential.

The 2022 IPL season proved to be a turning point for Rinku. He finally earned a longer run in the playing XI, showcasing his talent. His spirited show started off when his first noteworthy performance in the IPL helped KKR claim a win over Rajasthan Royals. Some labelled it a quirk of fate. To their surprise, Rinku pulled another rabbit out of his hat, although his 15-ball 40 ended up in a losing cause in KKR's last league match versus Lucknow Super Giants.

This success cemented his place in the middle order, and in the 2023 season, he emerged as a crucial finisher.

Much like the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rinku's role for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League 2023 was to shield his frail team. An injury to Shreyas Iyer, who was to captain KKR, acted as a debilitating agent. Lack of consistent openers, hit-and-miss Venkatesh Iyer, and a swagger-less Andre Russell increased the worries threefold.

But what are superheroes made for? Against-the-odds situations!

The Aligarh-born did not take much time to take off in 2023 either. His 46-run knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore was only a precursor to the enigma that lit up IPL 2023.

Match: Kolkata Knight Riders versus Gujarat Titans. 29 needed off the final over? Yash Dayal to bowl to Rinku and Umesh Yadav. The game is pretty much done. Right? Umesh takes a single, and Rinku is back on strike, with KKR now needing 28 off five balls. This surely must be it.

A full-toss, and Rinku smacks it over extra cover for a biggie. Ah! That just reduces the deficit from the loss. Another gift by Dayal, and Rinku accepts it and sends the ball over the ropes again. Just adding to the artificial excitement.

Another full-toss, and the southpaw clears the long-off boundary. Now, we are talking. Slow ball, slightly short, and Rinku powers it over long-on for a maximum. KKR is in front before the final delivery of the match.

Short again, and Rinku has done the unimaginable. Something right out of a story.

This is how the emotions ranged during the Rinku-Dayal duel. 

Hammering five sixes to seal a run-chase in the final over, Rinku became a household name overnight. But the process leading up to his success was not ephemeral.

Now that Rinku enjoyed the pride of people's confidence in his abilities, he had to ensure that the five-sixes-like occurrences were not a one-off.

Come to think of it, the burden of expectations was so sudden that Rinku could have actually become a prisoner of his own mind.

However, buckling down under pressure was never an option for him. Had it been, Rinku would not have achieved what he has if not for his self-confidence, which was put to the test on several occasions. To recall a few, he once had to reject a sweeper's job offered to him. And not to forget that his father, who is a gas cylinder delivery man, was against him playing cricket in his initial days. 

He doubled up on his game and backed his empowering knock against Gujarat Titans with scores of 58* (31), 53* (33), 46 (35), 54 (43), and 67* (33) mixed with belligerence.

How fitting it was that Rinku's last innings in IPL 2023 completed his coming-of-age season and also reignited a deja vu that even his enchanting 67-run knock did not allow KKR a win versus Lucknow in a match that moved on the lines of the previous year's enthralling KKR-LSG saga.

Like most Indian cricketers, Rinku's ultimate goal, as often is the case, was to don the national jersey. His dream eventually turned into reality. 

Rinku's career for India began in the Ireland T20I series in August 2023. He made his ODI debut against South Africa in December 2023.

The superhero now would have to rescue India from the curse of the ICC tournaments by being the saviour the team longs for. And he already has an Asian Games medal to start with.

(As of March 2024)