Rinku

Singh

Rinku Singh Biography and Career

A left-hand batsman and an occasional right-arm off-spinner, Rinku Singh is an Indian cricketer who plays for Uttar Pradesh in the domestic circuit and for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. 

Rinku’s is a rags to riches story of how a cricketer, who had limited means, went on to change the face of his family and made an honest living for himself. Born in Aligarh, in UP, Rinku comes from a modest family. One of five siblings, his father used to deliver LPG cylinders, while his brother used to ride an autorickshaw for a living. Rinku himself at one point was forced to take up a job as a domestic worker to make ends meet. 

"When I was just starting out and had yet to play proper cricket, I was asked to join my brother for a job,” he said in a video released by KKR. “I thought I would wear a shirt and a pant, and go to office, but I got a job of sweeping and mopping in a coaching centre. I refused because I didn't like the work."

Rinku returned to cricket, even though his father did not like it. He used to get beaten as his father wanted him to study and get a decent job. But cricket was Rinku’s destiny. 

He has a very shy personality and is an introvert, and he often gets teased by his teammates, but on the field, Rinku is a superstar. An absolute belter of the cricket ball, Rinku is the mainstay of the next generation of Indian cricket. Rinku’s finishing tales have been quite popular but what really got him into the limelight was when he smashed Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes in the final over of a match against Gujarat Titans in the 2023 edition of the IPL to take his side Kolkata Knight Riders over the line in unreal circumstances. 

Rinku made his India debut in August 2023 and is now slowly becoming a regular member in at least the T20I sides. 

Rinku represented UP in age-group cricket and sort of grew with them. He made his List A debut in 2014, and first-class debut in 2016. In the 2018-19 season, he bailed UP out multiple times in the Ranji Trophy and finished with 953 runs while averaging 105.88. At the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he smashed four fifties and a century in six outings. 

Rinku made his India debut in August 2023 in a T20I against Ireland. A few months later, he was also part of the ODI team against South Africa. While Rinku has not made his Test debut yet, with a domestic average in excess of 60, it can’t be too far away.

One of the turning points in Rinku’s career came when he was picked for Rs 80 lakh by KKR in the IPL 2018 auction. He had been picked for his base price of Rs 10 lakh by Punjab Kings in IPL 2017, but he did not get a game. He had a lukewarm start with KKR, managing a handful of runs in the first three seasons, and also not getting enough game time. In 2021, he missed playing the IPL because of a knee injury. 

However, KKR saw the spark in Rinku and retained him ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction. It turned out to be a masterstroke. Rinku scored 474 runs in IPL 2023 and was KKR's highest run-scorer and designated finisher. His one innings against  Gujarat Titans catapulted him into national recognition and Rinku became an overnight sensation. 

Rinku averages close to 50 in T20Is for India and has already scored three fifties in a handful of T20Is and should soon be a permanent fixture in the ODI side as well.

Rinku was part of the KKR side that won the IPL in 2024 and was also a reserve player in the victorious Indian side at the T20 World Cup 2024.

Beyond Cricket

Rinku Singh has gained a lot of fan following in recent times. He has close to 4.5 million followers on his Instagram account and boasts of close to 2 lakh followers on his X (formerly Twitter) account. It was recently revealed that Rinku got engaged to Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj.

Rinku endorses a few big brands such as Boost, Cred and SG. He has a tattoo on his arm that says ‘God’s Plan’. After playing a big role in KKR’s winning campaign in 2024, he said in an interview: "I keep saying 'God's Plan.' I designed my tattoo based on that. It's been a few weeks since I got it. The words 'God's Plan' are written inside a circle, which symbolizes the sun. The main aspect of the tattoo is the representation of the five sixes I hit in the IPL. It changed my life, so I thought I would include them in the tattoo.”

The term ‘God’s plan’ became quite popular within the Indian cricket circles, and many players such as Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav, have used it time and again.

Rinku has a shy personality but he also has been involved in a few controversies. In 2019, he was suspended for three months by the BCCI for taking part in the Ramadan T20 Cup in Abu Dhabi without the board's permission.

Rinku Singh Records 

Rinku Singh Domestic Records

• Was the leading run scorer (953 runs) for Uttar Pradesh in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy and bailed them out on multiple occasions
• In his first seven List A matches, he scored four fifties
• In the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season, Rinku scored 953 runs in 10 games at an average of 105.88 with four centuries and three fifties.

Rinku Singh T20I Records

• Stitched a record unbeaten 190-run partnership with Rohit Sharma in a T20I game. This is India’s highest stand in T20Is for any wicket and the highest fifth-wicket partnership overall.

Rinku Singh IPL Records

• He is the only batsman to smash five sixes in the last over of a T20 chase
• Only batter to successfully chase down 29 runs in the final over a T20 game. This is the highest for any T20 chase.
• He is the first Indian batsman to hit five consecutive sixes in one over in the IPL 
• Was KKR’s highest run scorer in IPL 2023 with 474 runs