“I sat on a chartered flight for the first time” - Team India star’s fascinating story of getting to travel with Shah Rukh Khan

India star batter Rinku Singh recently shared his dream-come-true moment when he accompanied Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan on his first-ever chartered flight. The 27-year-old said that he was hesitant at first to go with the Bollywood superstar, but called it a fascinating journey while reminiscing about the moment.

Sharing a few details about the travel purpose (visa), Rinku expressed his gratitude to Shah Rukh Khan for motivating him during a tough IPL season with the bat. He, however, didn't reveal the exact time of the travel.

Speaking to RevSportz's YouTube channel on Saturday (August 23), Rinku Singh said:

“I was in his car, and my season wasn’t going well. He told me the people know you like they know me. I told him, ‘Sir, what are you talking about? It’s not possible.’ Everyone in the world knows you; They have come to know me now. He motivated me a lot. I sat on a chartered flight for the first time. Those two hours were fascinating.”

“I didn’t get selected and was in standby. I had to go (Kolkata to Mumbai) for a visa. Sir (Shah Rukh Khan) also had to go the next day. My flight was confirmed, and Sir was informed, as was Pooja Ma’am (SRK manager Pooja Dadlani). So, she asked me to go with him. I was terrified that if I had to go alone with him, I wouldn't know how to handle things. I thought, 'What am I going to talk to him?'. I told them no because I was shy. Sir then asked me, so I couldn’t do anything (say no again),” he added.

Earlier in a 2023 interview, Rinku Singh claimed that Shah Rukh Khan had promised him to perform at his wedding.

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“It was a very tough time, I thought about whether I would be able to come back” – Rinku Singh credits Shah Rukh Khan's KKR for unwavering support

Rinku Singh further expressed his gratitude to the Shah Rukh Khan-owned franchise for their support ever since he joined the franchise in 2018. The UP batter revealed that KKR supported him during his tough times by helping him undergo knee surgery and rehab in 2021. He said in the same video:

“KKR supported me a lot. I started playing in 2018. I didn’t have good batting technique when I was new; they improved everything in me in 2018. I got injured in 2021 when they reached the finals. They backed and got my knee operation done.”

“It was a very tough time, I thought about whether I would be able to come back or not. I was away from cricket for seven months. I was in Mumbai for 3.5 months for my rehab, and I didn’t go home. I worked hard, and that gave me a lot of confidence. KKR backed me, and I did well in the domestic after that. In 2022, I had a good season, things started to go well,” Rinku added.

Notably, the Knight Riders retained Rinku Singh for a whopping ₹13 crore ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction last year. The left-hander has scored 1,099 runs in 51 innings for KKR at a strike rate of 145.71, including four half-centuries. He, however, managed only 206 runs in 11 games in IPL 2025, but at a strike rate of 153.73. He is currently leading Meerut Mavericks in the 2025 UPT20 League and will next be in action at the 2025 Asia Cup.