Rinku Singh’s resurgence is being hailed as a major lift for Kolkata Knight Riders, but it also feels like a feel-good moment for cricket fans across India. Coming from a modest background, Rinku’s journey struck a chord with many people who know the grind of everyday life. That connection only grows stronger when he delivers under pressure.
On Sunday, in the opening fixture of the day, Rinku steered KKR to their first victory of the 2026 Indian Premier League season. Chasing 156 on a demanding Eden Gardens surface, the situation turned ugly for the side, with Kolkata slipping to 85/6. At that point, Anukul Roy joined Rinku, and together they stitched a recovery that swung the match in KKR’s favour.
Rinku finished unbeaten on 53 off 34 balls, a knock that effectively steadied the chase and then accelerated when it mattered most. With the target in sight and the required rate rising, the duo managed the pressure calmly—holding their own without giving the bowling a way back into the contest—and eventually brought the chase to a successful close.
After earlier setbacks, many supporters had already started to lower their expectations for KKR. Yet Rinku, alongside Roy, refused to let the momentum die. He took charge of the situation from the moment Roy arrived, keeping the innings under control while ensuring Roy didn’t feel compelled to gamble recklessly. The partnership then “caught fire” in the latter overs, and they finished the job with authority.
For the last two years, however, Rinku’s phase hasn’t been smooth. More often than not, he has batted far down the order—both for KKR and for India. In the international setup as well, he frequently found himself missing from the Playing XI. When he does bat lower in the sequence, the script tends to offer either too few balls to make an impact or a level of pressure that becomes difficult to manage when the batters ahead fail to establish a platform.
That led to criticism from some quarters, while others pointed the finger at the teams’ decision-making—arguing that Rinku’s talent has been treated as expendable rather than utilised in the right batting position.
During the T20 World Cup, Rinku also struggled to fully concentrate on cricket after his father fell ill. The situation took a serious turn, and his father passed away during the Super 8 stage. Ahead of the Sunday match, the left-handed batter had managed 79 runs at an average of 19.76, with a strike rate of 117.91.
Tiwary questions KKR’s batting plan after Roy’s promotion
In the previous game against Gujarat Titans, the batting order was altered again, with even Roy sent ahead of Rinku. That decision prompted former India batter Manoj Tiwary to question KKR’s thinking. He said KKR “changed the entire batting order,” promoted Roy higher up, and in doing so sent Rinku an indirect message that the franchise lacked faith in him. Tiwary added that anyone with a clear cricketing mind would move Rinku up the order, given that he has been an asset for a long time.
Rinku explains the mindset after being dropped
After his match-defining innings at No. 6, Rinku admitted that he had been operating under pressure for a while. He also acknowledged a small slice of luck during the chase, noting that he was dropped on 8 when Ravindra Jadeja bowled him. Rinku described how the mental shift begins when runs fail to arrive, saying that although it wasn’t about hesitating to play his shots, the mindset was to stay patient and see the job through. He said that when he was dropped—during a no-look slog off Nandre Burger—those kinds of opportunities come when the mind isn’t fully set, and that God’s help played a part in turning it into a strong innings. Rinku concluded by saying that the knock boosted his confidence, and that the win would give KKR a platform to carry momentum forward.
One can only hope this innings marks a real turnaround for Rinku. KKR’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs may still look tough with just one win in seven matches, but if he continues to provide moments like the one at Eden Gardens, then at least the season won’t feel completely lost—because at the heart of KKR’s fight has been a batter finding his rhythm again.
