Rinku Singh on Sunday single-handedly pulled off a spectacular win for Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders against defending champions, Gujarat Titans in an IPL match. However, not many knew that Rinku had achieved the impossible with a borrowed bat belonging to a KKR teammate.
Batting first, Gujarat Titans piled up a total of 204-4 in 20 overs with Vijay Shankar hitting 63 from 24 balls. Sai Sudarshan made 53 from 38 balls while Shubman Gill contributed with 39 from 31 balls.
KKR appeared set to achieve the target until the 16th over when they were 154-4, clocking a run rate of nearly 10 runs an over. But, their batting collapsed in the 17th over after Rashid Khan claimed a hat-trick, reducing the KKR to 155-7 in 16.3 overs.
Unfazed by the development, Rinku decided to showcase his hard-hitting batting as he began to fearlessly play the Gujarat Titans bowlers. KKR needed 29 runs from the last over of the match with Rinku and fast bowler Umesh Yadav at the crease. Rinku hit Dayal for five sixes in the last over and single-handedly pulled off what appeared to be an impossible task, giving his side a three-wicket win. The batter from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh remained not out at 48 from just 21 balls in the end.
After being declared Player Of The Match, Rinku said, “I had the belief that I can do it. Last year too I was in a similar situation in Lucknow. Had the belief back then too but could finish for the side. Those shots just happened one after the other. Glad that this time we ended on the winning side.”
His teammate, Nitish Rana, later revealed that the bat that Rinku to hit six sixes in his knock was borrowed from him. According to Nitish, he did not want to part with his lucky bat when Rinku asked for it.
Nitish said, “I played the first two matches with this bat. I played the entire Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament with this bat. I used the same bat during the last 4-5 matches of the last year’s IPL.
“Rinku asked for this bat today and I did not want to give him. But someone brought this bat from inside (the dressing room) and I was sure he (Rinku) will pick this bat.”
So what happens to this bat now? Nitish said, “Now this belongs to Rinku. It’s no longer mine. He’s taken this from me.”
With today’s victory, KKR has now climbed to second in the points table.