On the right forearm of Rinku Singh, wedged between tattoos of a rose sprouting on the word ‘Family’ and a dove for peace, is a clock where time stands still at 2:26—the exact moment Kolkata Knight Riders had bought him at the 2018 IPL auction, for ₹80 lakh–a sum unheard of in the circles he grew up in. “Assi lakh bahut hote hai. Pehli baar itna paisa dekha tha maine ( ₹80 lakh is a lot of money. First time in my life I had seen so much money),” Singh said during an interview before the IPL.
Growing up with four siblings in a ramshackle tin shed in Aligarh, watching his father Khanchandra deliver LPG cylinders, Singh knew only cricket could pull his family out of poverty. He grated his way up the ranks in the complicated and power-ridden cricket hierarchy of Uttar Pradesh, missed the India U-19 bus a few times but never gave up. All this while, every penny saved from his daily allowances went into repaying debt that had run up to ₹5 lakh at one point in time. Odd jobs, including that of a sweeper, came his way but Singh had made his mind up.
But not until KKR’s ₹80 lakh bid could Singh finally heave a sigh of relief. A roof on his head, more izzat from the world around him, Singh can’t be grateful enough for how his world has changed since that auction. “Ghar nahi tha mera. Assi lakh mein sab problem khatam ho gaya. Thodi aur respect bhi milne lag gayi meri family aur mujhko. (I didn’t have a house. That bid solved all our problems. We have started getting more respect too).”
With 953 runs at an average of 105, the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy became a breakout season for Singh who till then was predominantly known as a white-ball dasher. KKR had picked him, but Singh still wasn’t exactly showered with opportunities. A brilliant fielder, he was always however the top choice as a substitute if someone was injured. Singh didn’t mind the action. “I love fielding,” he said. “I focus on my fitness a lot because one catch or a run out can change the complexion of the game. My off-seasons are spent perfecting shots and working on my fitness.”
{{/usCountry}}With 953 runs at an average of 105, the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy became a breakout season for Singh who till then was predominantly known as a white-ball dasher. KKR had picked him, but Singh still wasn’t exactly showered with opportunities. A brilliant fielder, he was always however the top choice as a substitute if someone was injured. Singh didn’t mind the action. “I love fielding,” he said. “I focus on my fitness a lot because one catch or a run out can change the complexion of the game. My off-seasons are spent perfecting shots and working on my fitness.”
{{/usCountry}}Patience was also a precious ally during this time. “Everyone struggles. But you can’t take short cuts. You must have belief in yourself. Can’t give up, ever.”
It’s this clarity of thought that kept Singh in KKR’s scheme of things when most from the outside world looking in thought he wouldn’t make the cut or at best be second fiddle to a more glamorous act. But he did, and with style.
Last season, KKR were in a spot of bother at 92/3 in the 13th over, chasing Rajasthan Royals’ 158. Singh scored a 23-ball 42 in a 66-run stand with Nitish Rana and KKR won with five balls to spare. All seemed lost when KKR were 150/6 chasing Lucknow Super Giants’ 208 but Singh gave hope with a belligerent 15-ball 40 that day. KKR fell short by two runs but they knew they had a winner among their ranks, someone who can temper his batting according to the situation.
KKR’s previous win against Royal Challengers Bangalore is an example where Singh didn’t need to hit out because Shardul Thakur had taken care of business. But there was never any doubt that he too could finish chases, any chase for that matter. “I knew he could hit sixes off any ball,” Rana said after that win. “So I just asked him to keep playing till 19-20th over. He doesn’t think a lot about it (being second fiddle). What matters most for all of us is to have that "W" attached to our side. He’s a bindaas aadmi. He manages to keep everything simple.”
So when it really fell upon Singh to deliver an impossible win, he just kept it simple. “Rana bhai told me: "belief rakhiyo, aakhri tak kheliyo (keep the belief, stay till the end)," he said after Sunday’s win. Non striker Umesh Yadav too said the same. "Bhaiya also told me, 'laga Rinku, sochiyo mat (hit it, don't think)."
Singh has immense belief in his power game. It was Brendon McCullum—KKR’s previous coach and facilitator of England’s spectacular run with the bat in Tests—after all whose advice played a part in shaping it.
“He (McCullum) is like that, isn’t he? Aggressive,” said Singh during the interview. “He didn’t ask to hold back. Another thing he taught was how to use pace and hit the ball hard.”
It fit right into Singh’s game too. “I like playing my game. I’m aggressive, tez khelna chahta hoon (I want to score quickly).” But he also wants to be responsible. “Pressure nahi loonga (Won’t take pressure). Game ke demand ke jaisa khelunga. (Will play according to the situation.”
All that advice, all those hours of training, every shred of patience and confidence accumulated over years of waiting and persisting was finally released into those five sixes.
"People have asked me why Rinku Singh doesn't come in the top rankings and always plays smaller roles or secondary roles,” said Rana after the match. “I would like to say that if this is a secondary role, then you imagine what primary role he can play. And how important a player Rinku Singh is for me. If I were out there batting, then maybe I would have thought that I could chase it down, but in your heart you know what you are capable of and what you can't do. I don't have words to describe Rinku's innings."