“Used to Eden crowd screaming 'Russell, Russell', but to hear them shout 'Rinku, Rinku' makes me very happy” - Nitish Rana

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Nitish Rana stated that to hear the Eden Gardens crowd chant “Rinku, Rinku” is something that has pleased him a lot. He added that the cheering from the Kolkata fans is proof of the amount of respect the cricketer has earned for his performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season.

Rinku Singh (21* off 10) yet again held his nerve under pressure to lift KKR to a last-ball win in the IPL 2023 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday, May 8. Chasing 180, Kolkata needed two runs off the last ball. The left-hander hammered the last delivery of the game from Arshdeep Singh for four to lift KKR over the line.

At the post-match presentation ceremony, KKR skipper Rana hailed Rinku and commented:

“I just keep telling him, ‘believe in yourself because what you have achieved is something not many people will achieve in their life. If you can do that, you can do anything’. When he was batting, the whole crowd was chanting 'Rinku, Rinku'. That is what he has earned this year. I got goosebumps.

“I've been at this franchise for the last few years now, I'm used to the Eden crowd screaming 'Russell, Russell'. But to hear them shout 'Rinku, Rinku' makes me feel very happy. That's the respect he has earned this season.”

Rana top-scored for KKR in the chase with 51 off 38 balls. However, it was Andre Russell’s 23-ball 42 that firmly swung the game in Kolkata’s favor.

Reflecting on Kolkata’s batting performance, Rana praised Russell and said:

“When I was batting, I wanted to hold one end. Venkatesh [Iyer] had a problem with his ankle so we were trying to get that one big over here and there. 10 matches have gone, so we were all waiting for that one Russell innings to come. The kind of player he is, he was one innings away.

“I kept backing him and have been telling him, ‘you are just one innings away from playing your best inning’. He did that today [Monday] and got us two points.”

Russell’s knock featured three fours and three sixes. The big-hitting West Indian added 54 for the fifth wicket with Rana.

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“I didn't think about the last ball” - Rinku Singh

Reflecting on yet another successful finishing effort, Rinku said that he wasn’t thinking much about the last ball and was just playing deliveries on merit.

At a post-match interaction, he stated:

“I didn't think about the last ball. Even when I hit those five sixes, I hadn't thought much. I was playing on the merit of the ball. I had the belief in me that I could finish the game."

On having to give the finishes touches to the KKR innings, he added:

“I have got used to it, sometimes I bat at 5, sometimes at 6, 7, I practice that way.”

The 25-year-old has hammered 337 runs in IPL 2023 at a strike rate of 151.12.