When Rinku Singh launched the sixes into orbit
Maybe, Rinku did not know what he was doing, himself, in that short session where the white ball was flying like a missile off his bat.
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Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh, this is one name you will not forget for a long time in the Indian Premier League. On Sunday evening, when left-hand batters used their weapon to great effect to pile on runs, this Uttar Pradesh lad from Aligarh produced the cleanest six-hitting seen in ages.
Agreed, the IPL is slam-bang, whiz-thud. To do it in practice sessions, to enact this kind of lusty hitting in throw-downs is different. Those are simulated situations. It’s a bit like being at the controls of an Airbus or a Boeing in flight. Those pilots go through hours on the simulator sessions, where they are trained for the best and the worst. After all, at 35,000 feet plus above sea level, when a big plane runs into rough weather, despite the autopilot mode, the captain has to still manage the lives of around 200 plus passengers.
Maybe, one has to get into Rinku Singh’s head and heart to see how he produced those heart-stopping sixes – five — to seal the match for Kolkata Knight Riders. It was one of the most sensational wins in the IPL not just this season but over the last 16 editions. It is one thing to hit a few sixes, what’s known as maximum, spread over a few overs. What this 25-years plus a few days old blokes from Aligarh churned out was beyond belief.
It was a joy for the KKR fans, where Shah Rukh Khan enjoyed the run riot, an onslaught that was savage. Maybe, Rinku did not know what he was doing, himself, in that short session where the white ball was flying like a missile off his bat. It calls for timing, an ability to control your own heart rate and not get carried away. The crowd response was loud and at the other end, Umesh Yadav, the senior pro was goading and guiding Rinku.
Maybe, like an airplane pilot, Rinku realized this was a solo effort. He had to negotiate it alone for his team. Having grown up in Uttar Pradesh and played alongside one of the most fierce competitors in the IPL —Suresh Raina — Rinku would have gone through these six hitting acts many times before. The key is to produce it under pressure, under expectation, and under the glare of arc lights. Had he fallen short, and KKR lost, celebrations would not have been so crazy. After all, this match between KKR and Gujarat Titans was top drawer, where Rashid Khan the stand-in captain was also sensational.
Rinku Singh’s blitzkrieg has rocked not just India but the world over
Rinku’s blitzkrieg has rocked not just India but the world over. From India to Australia and England to West Indies, this six-hitting spree has been savored like never before. The IPL has seen men like Chris Gayle shred bowling attacks. Rinku showed no mercy, and one has to feel bad for the bowler Yash Dayal. Bowling a death over is a matter of life and death. Outgoing chairman of the BCCI selection committee, Chetan Sharma still gets pilloried for the way Javed Miandad hammered him for a last-ball six many years ago in an ODI. When Pakis ragged Indians in Sharjah and used the Hindi word “Haar Jaa” it hurt.
This is the IPL, where one has to be fearless, be it as a batter or a bowler. Had the KKR run chase crashed, Rinku may have been pilloried. This was a bit reminiscent of the onslaught which Ravi Shastri pulled off in a Ranji match featuring Bombay vs Baroda in the 1984-85 season. Shastri had hammered Tilak Raj for six sixes in an over. To say Tilak Raj had sleepless nights would be stating the obvious. There were no social media in those days, just print media to capture eloquently the massacre which Ravi Shastri enacted.
These days, everything is out on social media within an hour. That Rinku Singh got congratulatory messages from SRK, the most ardent KKR supporter, to many more, shows how this team has risen from the ashes. After all, on Easter Sunday, this effort from Rinku was a resurrection. The left-hander had a chat with his regular captain as well, Shreyas Iyer, on a video call, after the match.
Well, KKR can feel proud in the absence of Shreyas, and under the leadership of Nitish Rana, the team is trying to punch above its weight. How does one forget coach Chandrakant Pandit, who has been labeled a Ranji Trophy coaching guru. Maybe, fans will realize coaches from India, too, can handle the pressure of the IPL.
Rinku hangover? At least this one does not leave you with a headache!
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)