Rinku Singh, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star batter, fondly recalled a valuable piece of advice he received from legendary captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. Singh had an impressive campaign with KKR in the 16th edition of the cash-rich league, and his memorable performance against the Gujarat Titans (GT) turned heads and transformed his career. The 25-year-old’s five sixes in that match not only contributed to KKR’s comeback victory but also earned him the support of several veteran cricketers, backing his potential for an India call-up.
Singh recently shared the valuable advice he received from the master of finishing games, Dhoni. The young batter had approached the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain and inquired about different approaches to finishing a game. Dhoni, known for his expertise in closing out matches, complimented Singh’s batting and advised him to focus on hitting the ball straight rather than being preoccupied with the bowler’s actions.
“Mahi bhai is the best finisher, so I asked him about the different ways to finish a game. He watched my batting and praised it. He advised me that when it’s the last over, I should try to hit the ball straight and let the bowler do what he wants to,” revealed Singh during an interview with the Sports Hour.
Despite KKR finishing in eighth place in the IPL 2023 points table and missing out on the playoffs, Rinku Singh had a breakthrough year. He displayed remarkable batting skills in several matches for Kolkata. One of his standout innings came against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in KKR’s final league stage clash, where he played an unbeaten knock of 67 runs off just 33 deliveries, propelling his team closer to victory.