"KKR will surely invest in him" - Brendon McCullum lavishes praise on Rinku Singh for his inspiring performances in IPL 2022
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh has received appreciation from all quarters for his gutsy knock against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in their recent IPL 2022 outing.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, KKR head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed that the franchise will invest in Rinku Singh going forward. He reserved high praise for the left-hander and suggested that he could also 'challenge for higher honors' in the future.
Brendon McCullum said:
"Rinku Singh is a player whom KKR will surely invest in over the next few years and we'll see him progress. Maybe he'll even challenge for higher honors in time as well. Because not too many people can bat like that in the middle-order and pull games out of the fire like he has almost done for us on a couple of occasions."
KKR were set an imposing task of chasing 211 against LSG at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday, May 18. At one stage, it appeared that the game had slipped out of hand. However, Rinku Singh hauled them back into the contest with his quick-fire knock alongside Sunil Narine.
Take a bow, @rinkusingh235 🙌
#AmiKKR #KKRvLSG #IPL2022 https://t.co/9l7yMltyfB
The uncapped Indian batter slammed 40 runs from just 15 deliveries. His scintillating efforts went in vain as KKR ultimately lost the closely-fought battle by three runs. With this loss, the two-time champions have now been eliminated from the playoffs race as well.
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"He plays the game for all the right reasons" - Brendon McCullum on Rinku Singh
The New Zealander pointed out that Rinku has had to wait for his opportunity in the cash-rich league, and has made the most of his chances this year.
McCullum further added that the batter has put in a lot of hark work and is always looking to contribute to the success of the IPL team. The KKR head coach said:
"Rinku is an incredible story. He's been around the IPL for five years now. He sat on the sidelines for so long. He has worked very hard and he gives it all to the team every single time that he's around. He has had to wait for his opportunity. He got it late in the tournament and he's taken it. He plays the game for all the right reasons. He's a guy that you really want to see do well."
It is worth mentioning that while Rinku has been with the Kolkata-based franchise for five years now, he has featured in just 17 matches for them so far. He has managed 174 runs from his seven appearances in IPL 2022 at an impressive strike rate of 148.72.