Rinku Singh has earned a reputation as an end-of-innings assassin, even if match situations have not always come his way. Three years ago, Kolkata were chasing a target of 29 against Gujarat when the game looked effectively out of reach. Then, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, a 25-year-old who was relatively unknown to many burst onto the scene and turned that night into IPL folklore.
Virender Sehwag, who was quick to recognise the rarity of what unfolded, had said: “This has never happened in cricket history, and Rinku Singh will never be able to do this again.” For most players, recreating an innings like that is the closest thing to a dream—yet Rinku has kept the focus on what can happen when the ball is hit cleanly. Speaking to NDTV correspondent Vimal Mohan, he replied, “If five sixes have been hit, then many other things can also happen in the world. I saw Sir’s comment and felt very good about it.” Sehwag had also drawn comparisons between Rinku’s temperament and the likes of MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar around that time.
Quick facts
- Three years ago, Kolkata needed 29 runs to win versus Gujarat.
- Rinku Singh struck five straight sixes off Gujarat bowler Yash Dayal (19.1 to 19.5), sealing the win with one ball remaining.
- In a later match against Lucknow, Kolkata slipped to 31/4 right after the powerplay.
- Against Lucknow, Rinku finished with 83* off 51 balls at a strike rate of 163, with seven fours and five sixes, taking Kolkata to 155/7.
- During that Lucknow innings, he hit four consecutive sixes off Digvesh Rathi from 19.2 to 19.5.
- Rinku also struck three consecutive boundary shots off Mohammed Shami in the 19th over and completed his half-century with six fours and one six.
Four sixes to seize the final-over momentum vs Lucknow
Kolkata’s innings against Lucknow appeared to be slipping when four wickets fell immediately after the powerplay, leaving them at 31. In the middle of that collapse, Rinku stepped in with a clear intention: keep batting through the pressure and force the chase to swing back. He has steadied Uttar Pradesh in first-class cricket on multiple occasions, and the same composure carried into this IPL spell.
In the 19th over, Rinku took charge against veteran Mohammed Shami, striking a six and then a four as wickets kept tumbling around him. He reached his half-century in that phase and finished the over with six fours and one six. In the very same over, he also dispatched Shami for three consecutive scoring shots, turning a precarious situation into a platform for the finishing burst.
From the second ball of the 20th over, Rinku made his next statement. He targeted leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi and smashed four sixes in a row on deliveries 19.2, 19.3, 19.4, and 19.5. The result was explosive: an unbeaten 83 off 51 balls—his career best—at a strike rate of 163, with seven fours and five maximums, as Kolkata posted 155/7.
9 April 2023: the night Rinku became a household name
On 9 April 2023, Rinku’s name went from being talked about in local cricket circles to becoming known across the IPL universe almost overnight. Aligarh’s Rinku Singh delivered a win that will be replayed for years, striking five consecutive sixes off Gujarat bowler Yash Dayal. The boundary barrage covered the ground from long-off to backward square to long—around the field—on balls 19.1 through 19.5.
Kolkata’s chase ended in the most dramatic fashion possible, with Rinku’s finishing run carrying them over the line with one ball still left in the innings. It was the kind of batting that feels nearly impossible to repeat, yet it happened anyway—exactly when the match needed a miracle.
Handling grief and still delivering
This IPL season has not come easy for Rinku off the field either. His father, Khanchand Singh, passed away in February, and the loss naturally weighed heavily. Even so, he did not let his commitments to cricket and the team fade—choosing to stay locked in despite the personal hardship.
Before the 83* against Lucknow, he had already shown that same resolve with an unbeaten 53 against Rajasthan. Whether it was in the early part of the season or in the pressure moments later on, Rinku’s performances have reflected a rare combination of calm under strain and the willingness to attack when the game demands it.
