Big hitter Rinku Singh made his international debut in IND vs IRE 1st T20I on Friday. The Kolkata Knight Riders’ batter said that he is living his mother’s dream. The 25-year-old revealed that his desire is to give his parents a good life after years of financial struggles. Rinku was picked by the national selectors for IND vs IRE after a stunning IPL season.
“A lot of blood and sweat has gone behind to earn this call. My passion for the sport helped me wade through a lack of support and financial hardships,” Rinku said during an interview with JioCinema before leaving for Ireland.
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“One thing that kept the desire burning was to give my family a good life, which was possible if I moved up the ladder in the sport. I had that self-belief and that made me stronger and helped me in my journey which has taken a new turn,” he added.
Despite a stellar IPL campaign with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Rinku was not included in the five-match T20I series against West Indies. He finished as the top run-getter for KKR with 474 runs at an average of 59.25 and 149-plus strike rate.
“I was desperate to get my parents out of poverty”
When asked about the difficulties his family faced as he grew up, Rinku said he was desperate to get his parents out of poverty.
“I have seen my family face financial struggles and I wanted to help them overcome through cricket. That desire to get them out of the grind kept me going. It kept me motivated to work hard and keep up my efforts.
“My family had a massive role in my journey to date. When they didn’t have enough to fund my career, my mother borrowed money from others to keep me going. Where I am today is because of the support I have got from them.”
The 25-year-old has also been included in Asian Games squad which scheduled from September 23 to October 8. Asked how was he preparing mentally for international cricket, Rinku said, “The efforts are same to be honest, but the pressure is a little more. The intention is to continue to do things the same way I did during the IPL, keep my calm during batting and focus on the role I have in the team.”
Inputs from PTI
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