5 Things you didn't know about WWE's Indus Sher

Rinku Singh and Saurav Gurjar have been a part of WWE NXT for a while now. The duo made its way to WWE in 2018 and soon began teaming up at WWE NXT live events. They made their explosive debut on the brand on the March 25, 2020 edition of WWE NXT, by attacking former MMA fighter, Matt Riddle.

Managed by Malcolm Bivens, the duo was soon given the moniker of Indus Sher. These two behemoths have the potential to make India proud on a global scale, and it won't be much of a surprise if you see them competing with the very best on RAW or SmackDown, somewhere down the line. In the following slideshow, we will take a look at 5 things you probably didn't know about Indus Sher.

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#5 Both Rinku and Saurav have sporting backgrounds

Rinku Singh (source: Pirates Prospects)

Saurav Gurjar stands tall at 6.66 feet and is a literal behemoth whose intimidating stature is enough to send shivers down opponents' spine. He has tried his hand in various sports before making it big, such as basketball and boxing. He is also a former National Champion in kickboxing.

Rinku Singh has several accolades in his bag as well. He grew up poor, with his father driving trucks for a living. He is recognized as the first-ever Indian sportsperson to play baseball on a professional level. Baseball isn't popular in India, and thus his accomplishment, unfortunately, didn't make waves in the country. Hailing from a rural village in Bhadohi, Rinku was a national javelin throw medalist at the junior level. He boasts a height of 6.16 feet. Rinku gave a tryout in front of 20 MLB team scouts and was eventually picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates. This accomplishment came soon after he had won a reality show named ‘The Million Dollar Arm’.

#4 Rinku and Saurav have tasted success on the small screen

Saurav Gurjar in Mahabharat, before he came to wwe (source: TOI)

Interestingly, both members of Indus Sher have done some work on the small screen before making their way to WWE. Rinku Singh, as previously mentioned, rose to fame by winning the reality show, ‘The Million Dollar Arm’. This victory resulted in him bagging a tryout in Major League Baseball, and eventually getting a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. A movie named Million Dollar Arm was made in 2014, chronicling the journey of Rinku and Dinesh Patel, and their eventual signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

As for his WWE counterpart Saurav Gurjar, he played several roles on Indian television, starring in shows like Mahabharat and Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman. Mahabharat is an Indian epic that tells the story of the Pandava brothers and their struggles against the Kauravas, which ultimately leads to the 18-day epic war. Additionally, Gurjar will soon be making his debut in Bollywood in the movie Brahmāstra, in which he will portray the role of a villain. It stars a string of bigwigs from Bollywood, like Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Alia Bhatt. The film is set to release on the big screens next year.

#3 A match made in the squared circle

Rinku and Saurav (source: Sportsnewswale)

Many aren't aware that both Rinku and Saurav had participated in the WWE Dubai Tryouts in 2017, which ultimately led to their WWE signing. The international-level tryout that took place at the Dubai Opera House, saw 34 young guns from 18 countries showing off their skills over a period of four days. Participants included both men and women, with their areas of expertise ranging from strongman competitions, bodybuilding, and martial arts, to collegiate wrestling, boxing, and CrossFit.

Here's what Rinju Singh had to say about how they learned to get used to the spotlight.

It is not difficult for us to pick up the physical part of the business as we both have experience in sports. But, performing in front of a packed crowd is a whole different experience. When we started out, we used to be extremely nervous but with time, we have grown accustomed to the spotlight.

It's not a secret that the skill set, personalities, and background of Rinku and Saurav complement each other very well, and it is certainly a match that was meant to be, when it came to performing in WWE.

#2 Representing India on a global scale

Rinku Singh (source: Rediff)

WWE is a global media giant, and boasts more than a billion social media followers across all of their platforms. There aren't many platforms as big as WWE, when it comes to the opportunity to showcase one's skills in front of the world. Indus Sher knows what it means to be performing for WWE, but they haven't forgotten their roots one bit.

It was a tough choice for us to decide on our characters and our attires. We wanted to showcase the Indian culture through them and what we wanted to portray was the character of a warrior. We did not want it to be excessive or offensive but at the same time, we wanted to clearly show that we are representing India.

One look at Rinku and Saurav is enough to make one realize that they are determined to showcase the rich Indian culture on a global level. Their attire is unique and stays true to the Indian culture. Whether it works for them in the big leagues in the near future, remains to be seen.

#1 The duo's ultimate goal in WWE

Indus Sher (source: India)

Ever Superstar signs with WWE with one or the other goal in their mind. Some want to make their country proud on an International scale, while others want their parents to see them performing on TV. When it comes to Rinku and Saurav, the duo has made it clear what they are aiming for, in WWE. The behemoths want to become the first-ever WWE Tag Team Champions from India, and want to defend the coveted belts at The Grandest Stage Of Them All.

Our goal is quite clear. We wanted to become the very first WWE Tag Team Champions from India and to defend the Title at WrestleMania in front of thousands of fans, making our country proud on the global stage.

WrestleMania has been around since 1985, and is hands down the biggest pro-wrestling event of the year. Dubbed as The Showcase of the Immortals, there wouldn't be a bigger stage for Indus Sher to display their might in front of the world.