Smashing 5 sixes in one over is a tough ask but doing it in the final over of the match to give your side an improbable win is magical. And that is what Rinku Singh did on Sunday evening for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against the Gujarat Titans (GT).
With 29 runs needed in the last over of the match, the diminutive batter hit five consecutive sixes to etch his name in history books. Rinku finished the match with 48 runs off 21 balls, including 30 runs off the final over of the match bowled by Yash Dayal.
Following his blistering innings, the Aligarh-based batter spoke exclusively to SportsTak about his life and struggles, and what made him into the cricketer he is today.
"It has been a difficult journey for me since my father did not like cricket. My father asked me to work with him. We used to carry cylinders on a bike with my brother. My mother also said that since our father is not supporting us, then we should just start working with him," said Rinku.
"My brother used to work in a coaching centre, so he took us there where we were told that we should wipe the floors in the morning. I ran away from there and since then I have focused on cricket," he added.
Speaking about his love for the game, Rinku said he has always liked cricket and started taking the sport seriously after an inter-school tournament.
"I have always liked cricket since I used to play with my brothers when I was young. There was an inter-school event, and I started playing from there," said Rinku.
Coming off Yash Dayal's over, Rinku snatched the victory from the Titans' grasp, after Rashid Khan's hat trick ended their prospects of chasing down a mighty total of 205 runs.
The Afghanistan star and stand-in skipper took the wickets of the dangerous duo of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, and then the wicket of Shardul Thakur, the hero of KKR's last match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
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