Playing for pride

More than money, it was respect that Kolkata Knight Riders' batter Rinku Singh earned for his family

- POOJA BIRAIA JAISWAL

The day after he left the IPL bubble and returned home to Aligarh, Rinku Singh was at the local cricket ground. He handed out kits and his tips to youngsters who shared the same dream. He stayed there till dusk, and did the same the following day.

It had been a long journey for 24-year-old Rinku—he was picked for the IPL five years ago— and he wanted to pave the way for those to follow. The explosive left-handed batter, who plays for Kolkata Knight Riders, might have scored only 174 runs this season, but he did so in difficult situations, and at a strike rate of 148.71. He scored 40 off 15 against Lucknow Super Giants and 42 off 23 against Rajasthan Royals. He was player of the match in the latter. Coach Brendon McCullum even called him the “find of the season”.

In Aligarh, though, he was “found” quite some time ago. “Apart from cricket, people wanted to know if he is still the same ever-smiling and humble Rinku,” says his coach Masooduz Zafar Amini. “The one who would move around in worn-out shorts and a tee.”

In the three days that he was home, before flying out to join his Ranji team, there were countless requests for interviews, felicitations and speeches. Rinku, though, turned down everyone. “He is extremely shy and reserved. People mistake it for arrogance, but he really is down to earth and a man of few words,” says his close friend Waseem Mirza, who has been doing the “dirty work of refusing requests”.