Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will be eyeing their third consecutive win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 when Nitish Rana and Co. meet former champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match No.56 of the cash-rich tournament on Thursday. The Rinku Singh-starrer side will hope to break into the top four of the IPL 2023 standings with a win over Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens.
Sharing his views in the build-up to the upcoming contest, legendary Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh showered praise on rising star Rinku, who has been a revelation for the Knight Riders this season. Talking about the rapid rise of the KKR batter, the former KKR spinner claimed that Rinku is not far away from receiving his maiden India call-up.
“That India cap is not far away from Rinku's head. He's such an inspirational player. He's run all the hard yards and worked very hard to get to where he is today. Full credit to him for having that belief in himself. His journey is a life lesson and all young kids should learn from him,” Harbhajan told Star Sports.
Harbhajan's former India teammate Mohammad Kaif also lauded Rinku for acing the role of a finisher in the IPL 2023. "Rinku Singh has that maturity. His footwork is very good and he looks to rotate strikes as well. Rinku knows how to convert his form into good knocks and also knows when to shift gears. He is capable of hitting big shots as well," added Kaif, who played 29 matches in the IPL.
{{/usCountry}}Harbhajan's former India teammate Mohammad Kaif also lauded Rinku for acing the role of a finisher in the IPL 2023. "Rinku Singh has that maturity. His footwork is very good and he looks to rotate strikes as well. Rinku knows how to convert his form into good knocks and also knows when to shift gears. He is capable of hitting big shots as well," added Kaif, who played 29 matches in the IPL.
{{/usCountry}}Left-hander Rinku raised his stocks in the IPL 2023 by smashing statemate Yash Dayal for back-to-back five sixes to script KKR's stunning win over defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT). Batting at a strike rate of 151 in 11 matches, Rinku has scored 337 runs for the two-time champions this season. With 10 points from 11 matches, KKR are placed sixth on the IPL 2023 points table.