"He needed to make a statement and he made it" - KKR's Brendon McCullum lauds Rinku Singh's match-winning blitz vs RR

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Brendon McCullum lauded young Rinku Singh after their win over the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Monday. The batter's brilliant knock steered the two-time champions to a much-needed win in IPL 2022.

Chasing 153 runs, Kolkata lost their openers Aaron Finch and Baba Indrajith early. However, skipper Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana set up the chase beautifully with a 60-run stand for the third wicket. Although Iyer was out after a 32-ball 34 run knock, Rana ensured he batted till the end and took the game home.

Rinku Singh also scored useful runs, chipping in with an unbeaten 42 off 23 balls to seal the tie with five balls to spare. McCullum spoke highly of the Aligarh-born cricketer, saying that Rinku has made a statement just when it was needed the most.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Brendon McCullum said:

"He (Rinku) has been in the franchise for a long period of time. Lucky enough to spend some time with him. He needed to make a statement and he made it in the first game itself. Rana was out in the middle and that gave him (Rinku) a lot of confidence in his company."

The 24-year-old batter has made significant contributions with the bat ever since he was included in the playing XI. The southpaw scored 35 runs against Gujarat Titans before chipping in with 23 and an unbeaten 42 against Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, respectively.

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"Losing five games on the bounce, it's not easy" - Brendon McCullum

The two-time IPL champions had a great start to the campaign but lost the plot in the last few games, suffering five defeats on the trot. But KKR pulled one back against the Royals on Monday.

McCullum was satisfied with how the team performed and lauded the players for stepping up to the task. He concluded:

"Really pleased obviously (with the win). (Losing) Five games on the bounce, it's not easy. I need to compliment all the guys for the way they played tonight. The guys have stuck together and been realistic. Tonight was a fantastic performance, from two guys who are very good friends (Rana and Rinku)."

The Knight Riders will play their next game against the Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday in Pune.