[Watch] “Uske liye sorry” - Rinku Singh innocently apologizes for breaking media box glass during 2nd IND vs SA T20I
Team India’s T20I finisher Rinku Singh has apologized for damaging the media box glass at St George's Park in Gqeberha during his batting stint in the second T20I against South Africa on Tuesday, December 12.
The Men in Blue went down to the Proteas by five wickets [via the DLS method] in a rain-hit game, but Rinku impressed once again, hammering 68* off 39 balls. He smashed nine fours and two sixes. One of his maximums off Aiden Markram’s bowling smashed into the media box glass, causing a big crack.
In a video posted on BCCI’s official X handle, the hard-hitting left-handed batter stated that he wasn’t aware of the same and innocently apologized on learning of the incident.
“When I hit that shot for six, I did not know that the glass broke. I came to know of it now. Uske liye sorry [Sorry for that],” Rinku said.
India batted first in the second T20I after losing the toss and posted 180/7 in 19.3 overs when their innings ended due to rain. The Men in Blue were off to a disastrous start, losing both openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill for ducks.
Tilak Varma (29 off 20) and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (56 off 36), however, lifted the Indian innings before Rinku yet again provided the fireworks at the death. Their efforts were in vain, though, as South Africa, set a revised target of 152 in 15 overs, and got home in 13.5 overs.
“At the start, I was finding it a bit tough” - Rinku Singh
While the 26-year-old ended up scoring at a strike rate of nearly 175, he admitted that he found it difficult to gauge the wicket initially. Rinku credited skipper Suryakumar for backing him, asking him to remain calm and just play his natural game.
“When I went in to bat, we had lost three wickets, so it was a bit tough. When I was playing with Surya bhai, the chat was that, ‘keeping playing the way you are doing. Play your natural game’. I took my time at the start because I was finding it a bit tough to understand the wicket. After playing a few balls, I got set and then the big hits started coming,” the southpaw said.
“He [Surya] told me, keep playing the way you have been told. Have belief in yourself. As I said, at the start, I wasn’t able to bat as well, but he told me to stay calm, the big hits will come. And, as you saw, it worked out well later,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the third and final T20I of the series will be played at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday, December 14.