After getting rejected by Virat Kohli, Rinku Singh has his eyes glued to Rohit Sharma’s bat 

KKR star Rinku Singh, known for his playful requests, was seen standing beside Rohit Sharma in the MI dressing room, likely seeking his bat.

After getting rejected by Virat Kohli, Rinku Singh has his eyes glued to Rohit Sharma’s bat 

KKR star Rinku Singh had his eyes set on Rohit Sharma's bats, after having asked one from Virat Kohli last season. (via X)

Kolkata Knight Riders star Rinku Singh repeated his mischievous ‘antics’, as he was spotted beside Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma, hoping to ask for a bat from the Indian team skipper. The young Indian finisher spotted having a chat in the MI dressing room. 

KKR and MI faced off in a heated IPL encounter at the Wankhede Stadium. Batting first, KKR were bowled out in just 116 runs. Ashwani Kumar enjoyed a dream debut for MI, taking four wickets. In response, the home side managed to chase down the target in just 12.5 overs. They were guided by Ryan Rickelton’s 62-run knock off 41 balls, and Suryakumar Yadav’s quick-fire innings of 27 runs off just nine balls. 

It interestingly marked Mumbai’s first win of the new season, after they lost their two previous matches against CSK and GT. Meanwhile, defending champions KKR too have been struggling this season, having won just one out of their three games. The Indian batters from the two teams have come under the scanner owing to their recent displays, including Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh. 

Rinku Singh, who managed to score just 17 runs in the match against MI, despite his team’s humiliating defeat, was seen in high spirits. The 27-year-old batter sneaked into the MI dressing room after the match to catch up with his India teammates. He was seen standing beside Rohit Sharma, who was checking his bats from the kit bag. A video of the hilarious incident was shared by Mumbai Indians on social media.

While Rinku’s eyes were stuck upon Rohit Sharma’s collection, Tilak Varma made a cheeky taunt at the KKR star by revealing that he had come only to ask for a bat, despite having a ‘willow’ in his possession. Rinku Singh diligently stated that he was there only to have a chat, to which he was approached by Hardik Pandya. The MI skipper teased the youngster by asking him to confess about his bat demand. 

Interestingly, it is not the first time that the young Rinku Singh has asked for a bat. He had made a similar request for bats last season, to RCB star Virat Kohli. Rinku Singh had mischievously demanded a bat from the veteran 36-year-old, twice. In a conversation, he had even confessed to having broken Kohli’s bat while playing with it. Kohli later refused to give the 27-year-old a bat, as it could lead to trouble.

Nonetheless, coming to the recent encounter between the MI and KKR, youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who top-scored for his side with a 26-run knock earned praise from Rohit Sharma. He was even gifted Sharma’s bat, as he posed with it after the match. 

Rohit Sharma’s form a concern for Mumbai Indians, as critics suggest he should be dropped

Indian team star and former MI captain Rohit Sharma’s recent form has generated concern, with several cricket analysts and former players like Michael Vaughan urging the team to drop him. Sharma has only scored 21 runs in his first three matches this season.

Rohit Sharma poor IPL form
Rohit Sharma’s poor IPL form has been a concern for his side, Mumbai Indians. (via Inside Sport)

Rohit Sharma has struggled in the IPL over the past few seasons, and has only crossed the 400-run mark once, since 2019. In his last five IPL seasons, the 37-year-old opener has registered only six fifty-plus scores. Additionally, the team has also struggled over the past few seasons, having made it through to the IPL playoffs just once, since 2021.

Moreover, former English cricketer-turned commentator Michael Vaughan claimed that the Indian captain’s reputation and leadership abilities might shield him from being dropped, despite his run-drought. For MI to make it big this season, Rohit Sharma will have to be among the runs.