'I was in Noida with friends...': Rinku Singh reveals 'emotional' phone call right after receiving maiden India call-up

Rinku Singh spoke about receiving his maiden India call-up. He made his India debut against Ireland on Friday.

Rinku Singh made his Team India debut on Friday, facing Ireland in the first T20I of their ongoing three-match series, at The Village in Malahide. The match saw pacer Prasidh Krishna make his T20I debut. India won by two runs, courtesy of the DLS method. In a rain-affected match, India were set a target of 46 runs, although Ireland initially posted 139/7 in 20 overs.

India's Rinku Singh receives his debut T20I cap. (BCCI Twitter)

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal played a knock of 24 runs off 23 balls, including three fours and a six. Meanwhile, his opening partner Ruturaj Gaikwad smacked an unbeaten knock of 19 runs off 16 balls, packed with a six and a four. Meanwhile, Tilak Varma will have plenty to think about, after getting dismissed for a golden duck. Although, Rinku didn't get to bat, he will be hoping to make an impact in the next T20I.

Meanwhile, two-wicket hauls from captain Jasprit Bumrah, Krishna and Ravi Bishnoi saw India restrict Ireland to 139/7 in 20 overs. Barry McCarthy top-scored, bagging an unbeaten half-century. He slammed 51 off 33 deliveries, clattering four fours and four sixes.

Speaking about his maiden India call-up, Rinku revealed that his mother got very emotional and he couldn't control his tears of happiness. "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," he said to JioCinema.

Stating that it was a dream come true, he said, "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. And now their dream is about to come true."

Rinku also mentioned that his family faced plenty of financial hardships and he always wanted to help them overcome it. "I have seen my family face financial struggles and I wanted to help them overcome through cricket. That desire to get them out of the grind kept me going. It kept me motivated to work hard and keep up my efforts," he said.

The second T20I will take place on Sunday in the same venue. Ireland will be hoping to stage a comeback. Meanwhile, India will look to seal a series-clinching victory, and the likes of Rinku will aim to make an impact ahead of the World Cup.