Rinku Singh (cricketer)

Rinku Khanchand Singh (born 12 October 1997) is an Indian International cricketer. He is a left-handed middle order batter. He made his international debut for India in August 2023 when he played against Ireland at The Village. Singh plays for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket and for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Early life
Rinku Singh is the third of five siblings, and was born into a poor family. His father, Khanchandra Singh, worked in an LPG distribution company. During his early years, Singh lived in a two-room quarter near Aligarh Stadium in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. This accommodation was provided by his father's employers.

Uttar Pradesh
Singh represented Uttar Pradesh at the under-16, under-19 and under-23 levels; and also played for Central Zone at the under-19 level. He made his List A cricket debut for Uttar Pradesh in March 2014 at the age of 16 and top-scored with 83 in that match. He made his first-class debut for Uttar Pradesh in the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy on 5 November 2016.

He was the leading run-scorer for Uttar Pradesh in the group-stage of the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy, with 803 runs in nine matches. He finished the tournament with 953 runs in ten matches.

Indian Premier League to 2020
In February 2017, Singh was bought at auction by Kings XI Punjab for the 2017 Indian Premier League. In January 2018, he was bought for 80 lakh by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2018 IPL auction.

Suspension
On 30 May 2019, Singh was given a three-month suspension by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after he took part in the Ramadan T20 Tournament in Abu Dhabi without seeking prior permission to play.

Indian Premier League from 2021
Singh was due to play for KKR in the 2021 Indian Premier League but he was ruled out by a knee injury and replaced by Gurkeerat Singh Mann. In February 2022, he was retained by KKR and played for them in IPL 2022. He earned his first Man of the Match award (and a cheque for one lakh) after he scored 42 runs in 23 balls against Rajasthan Royals. On 9 April 2023, Rinku achieved a record-breaking feat in an IPL match against Gujarat Titans, scoring five sixes in the final over to successfully chase down 29 runs – the highest-ever chase in the last over in the IPL tournament's history.

International career
On 18 August 2023, Singh made his international debut in the first Twenty20 International (T20I) against Ireland at The Village. In the next game, he scored a quick 38 before being dismissed by the last ball of the innings. On 23 November 2023, he scored 22 runs off 14 deliveries against Australia in the first T20I at Vishakhapatnam.

In November 2023, Singh was named in India's squad for their 2023–24 tour of South Africa. On 12 December 2023, he scored his first half-century in T20I cricket with a score of 68*. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut against South Africa on 19 December 2023. He scored 17 runs and took the wicket of Rassie van der Dussen. On 21 December 2023, he played a match winning knock against South Africa in 2nd One Day International (ODI) match.

On 17 January, against Afghanistan, he and Rohit Sharma stiched a 190* run partnership which is India's highest run partnership in T20I and highest run partnership for 5th wicket in the world. In May 2024, he was named as a reserve player in India’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.