The talk of the town is a tiny two-room flat located on the grounds of an LPG distribution company’s storage compound close to Aligarh Stadium. It’s the home of Rinku Singh, who on April 9 made headlines when he hit five consecutive sixes in the final over to help Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Gujarat Titans in a nail-biting match.
Rinku’s undefeated 48 off 21 deliveries gave Kolkata the victory in a game that looked lost only three overs earlier when Rashid Khan took a hat-trick. Except for Rinku, almost everyone had given up. He had been second fiddle to Shardul Thakur in the previous game, but on Sunday in Ahmedabad he was the hero. Since the IPL is a huge theatre after all, it has witnessed many breathtaking comebacks, yet in 15 seasons, nothing like Rinku had been witnessed. He made history by becoming the first player to end a game by hitting five straight sixes off the last over.
The elder brother of Rinku’s father, Khanchandra, operates an autorickshaw, while the younger brother works at a coaching facility. We occasionally hear a rags to riches narrative that is the stuff of IPL dreams. After a fierce struggle with Mumbai Indians, who also appeared determined to get the all-rounder in the full-fledged player auctions in 2022, Rinku was acquired by KKR for Rs. 80 Lakh.
Rinku was at his house, watching the fantasy play out live on television, while the two major franchises were vying for his attention.
“Socha tha 20 lakh mein jaoonga, (thought I would get Rs. 20 Lakh), but I was picked up for 80! The first thought that came to the mind was that I can contribute in my big brother’s wedding, and save up something for my sister’s wedding too. Aur ek achhe se ghar mein shift ho jaoonga.”
Rinku, the third of five siblings, has endured some hardship. His family was striving to pay back a debt of Rs. 5 Lakh three years ago. The family’s income-earners couldn’t afford it, and Rinku’s grades were poor — “Ninth fail,” he adds — so it was out of their reach. He was aware that cricket was his only opportunity.
He accumulated his meagre daily stipends from playing for the UP Under-19 squad as well as other cricket representation money. All of it was used to pay off debts. Rinku was considered for the India U19 team two years ago, however he was cut before the ICC U19 World Cup.
“Father and the older brother both used to make about Rs. 6000-7000 every month. Due to the size of my family, I was forced to put all of my attention into cricket. Life’s struggles are still there today; perhaps God is compensating for those times,” he argues.
When Rinku won a motorbike after winning the man-of-the-series prize at a competition in Delhi, his family began to believe him as well. His father’s cylinders needed to be delivered across Aligarh, thus the motorcycle was soon put to use.
Not that everything changed immediately after that. He once requested his brother to assist him in getting a job. He brought me to a location where I was asked to work as a domestic worker, saaf, safaai aur pochaa maarna. (sweeping and mopping). I promised my mother when I got home that I wouldn’t go there again. I’ll just gamble on cricket for now.
He was getting noticed despite having a strong performance on the home circuit. He had been signed by Punjab Kings in 2021, however he wound up warming the bench. When Mumbai Indians contacted him for a selection trial, his luck changed once more when he slammed a 31-ball 91 runs.
“I believe that hit had an effect. I had a successful domestic season and was hoping someone might want to hire me, but I never imagined I would ask for such a large sum of money. No one in my clan has ever seen that much money,” he continues, “Mere khaandan mein itna paisa kisene bhi nahi dekha hai.”