'Rinku Won a Bike in a Tournament & then...': How Son of an LPG Cylinder Delivery Man Became IPL Star

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner and Bollywood star, Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday took to his official Twitter account and wrote ‘Jhoome jo Rinkuuuuu!!!’. He also dedicated the poster of his film ‘Pathaan’ for his team’s rising star Rinku Singh to share his excitement at the batter’s stunning performance on Sunday evening who smashed five successive sixes in the final over to clinch a memorable win for KKR vs Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad.

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‘King’ Khan’s post was followed by Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh who took to Twitter and wrote, “Rinku !!!!Rinku!!!!Rinku!!!! Ye kya tha," praising the KKR batter. Praise did not stop here even Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, too was impressed as he called him ‘beast’ in his Instagram story whereas his sister Suhana Khan called him ‘unreal’.

Actor Arjun Rampal wrote— ‘Omg KKR #RinkuSingh 5 sixes in a row. What a chase, incredible, never seen anything like this. Absolutely exhilarating. Congratulations KKR’.

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In the backdrop of the cheers and praises back in Singh’s hometown Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, it was an emotional moment for his family members.

“Though my ‘Big B’ is a good batsman, going by the situation in which 29 runs were needed in the last over, we never thought that he would make it. It is Bholenath’s Kripa, the blessings of the parents, and Bhaiya’s hard work that made this possible. We are proud of him and miss him too," said Jeetu Singh, Rinku Singh’s younger brother as he controlled his emotions.

On Sunday, there was a non-stop prayer session at his house that was carried out by the female members of the family, says Jeetu, who preferred to watch the match along with the male members, including his father and brothers.

“I made it clear that I would prefer to watch the match and see Bhaiya playing. Though at that time I was not aware that the match would be a historical one not only for Bhai but also for his family members, friends, and fans," says Jeetu.

Jeetu and other family members give the entire credit to Rinku, stating that it was his hard work and dedication that paid off.

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“I still remember Bhai’s tough regime, waking up in the wee hours, running, gymming, practicing, dieting, and so on. He is my role model," he said.

Not only for Jeetu, Rinku, who remained unbeaten and made 48 off 21 deliveries, but today is also a role model for many. But, the making of the batter, from a two-roomed quarter on the premises of the LPG distribution center, where his father works, is like any other Bollywood movie script.

Born and brought up in a lower-middle-class family, Rinku’s father Khanchandra Singh delivers LPG cylinders to homes, an elder brother drives an auto rickshaw while another brother works in a coaching center. It was his dream and the IPL match that made his life, from rags to riches.

“Rinku was like any other student. Though he was not good at studies, what made him different from others was his body language, the way he used to carry the bat and get assembled on the ground, and his dedication towards cricket, it was all unmatchable," recollects Arjun Singh Fakira, the man who helped Rinku in his initial days of struggle.

Fakira says that like any other father, Khanchandra also used to stress upon pursuing studies. There were instances when Rinku used to get thrashed by his father for his dedication to sports and not to studies.

“But then came a turning point when while playing a tournament Rinku won a bike, which he gave to his father to help him out while making kitchen gas deliveries. That very moment his father realized that his passion for sports is not ordinary and that one day he will do something big. Rinku, then got the biggest support of his life and that was that of his own father," told Fakira.

He said after representing the under-16, under-19, and under-23 central zones of Uttar Pradesh, he played for Uttar Pradesh for the first time at the age of 16 and made his debut for Team A.

“Rinku did well in his debut match, he scored 83 runs in this match. After 2 years, he made his debut on 5 November 2016 at Ranji Trophy for Uttar Pradesh. And by the time he played 7 matches. He managed to score 4 half-centuries," he added.

In the year 2017, Kings XI Punjab (Now Punjab Kings) got Rinku on board at his base price of Rs 10 lakh. He may not have got a game that season but just getting picked up in IPL was a big deal for him and also for his father. Khanchandra then decided to quit his more than 30-year-old job as a kitchen gas delivery man.

Later in 2018, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) roped him in for Rs 80 lakhs in the mega players’ auction and then, there was no looking back.

On Sunday, KKR star Rinku produced an unbelievable knock in a game against Gujarat Titans. With only 28 runs needed off the final five deliveries, Rinku smashed five-successive sixes against Yash Dayal, taking KKR to a memorable victory in Ahmedabad.

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