Why was Rinku Singh presented with a special shirt ahead of KKR vs SRH game?

Rinku Singh was presented a special shirt by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) game on Thursday. The 27-year-old was felicitated because he was playing his 50th game for KKR in the IPL. A special ceremony was held before the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. 

The left-handed batter has been one of the most consistent players for KKR and was part of the side that won the title last year. Rinku Singh made his IPL debut against Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the 2018 season. In his debut game, the batter managed to score just six runs. 

That season he played just four games and in the following two seasons, Rinku played just six matches. In 2021, the batter was suspended for three months by BCCI for playing in an authorised tournament. After missing out on the 2021 season, Rinku got his big break in the 2022 season, where he played seven games and scored 174 runs. 

Gained recognition after his five sixes against Yash Dayal 

Cricket fans were moved to tears when Rinku Singh was seen crying after scoring a 15-ball 40 against Lucknow during the 2022 season. KKR had lost the game by just two runs while chasing 211 runs to win the game. Rinku had hit two fours and four huge sixes to bring his side closer to the target. 

The moment of reckoning came next season when Rinku hit his UP teammate Yash Dayal for five successive sixes in the last over of the game. It was a huge moment in his life as the fans finally took notice of the talent that the powerful batter had. That season, Rinku went on to play 14 games and score 474 runs with the bat with an average of 59 and a strike rate of 149. 

KKR decided to reward the young batter, as he was retained ahead of the IPL 2025 season for a massive sum of money. So far, Rinku has scored 922 runs with an average of 29 and a strike rate of 142 with four half-centuries in his IPL career.