Rinku is currently part of India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad in the UAE.
Rinku Singh became a household name after his stunning exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
The southpaw emerged as the highest run-getter for his side, amassing 474 runs from 14 innings at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52. More than the impressive numbers, he caught everyone’s attention by finishing games for KKR from difficult situations.
In one of the games against Gujarat Titans, Rinku smashed pacer Yash Dayal for five sixes in an over to script KKR’s improbable victory.
Following his breakthrough IPL season, Rinku was rewarded a place in India’s squad and he has represented the country in two ODIs and 33 T20Is so far.
The swashbuckling left-hander is currently part of India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad in the United Arab Emirates. The team management has backed him to play the finisher's role in the continental showpiece.
Before flying to Dubai for the Asia Cup, Rinku, while speaking on Raj Shamani’s podcast, offered insights into his phone conversation with the legendary MS Dhoni, who used to bat in the lower middle-order for India as well.
“In the 2023 tournament, we had talked. Sometimes, we talk on call because he used to bat at the same number. So I asked him about his mindset, how he stayed during the last overs," Rinku said.
“He (Dhoni) was saying the same thing, in the last overs, it is very important to stay completely calm and to believe in yourself. The number is such that it isn’t easy to hit; world-class bowlers are in front of you, so it isn’t easy to hit," he added.
Rinku revealed that he kept staring at Dhoni and forgot everything when he met the former Indian captain for the first time.
“I will tell you that scene. After COVID, there was a tournament, the IPL in Dubai. It was our last match, we had lost to CSK and I was scared, these are big players, Mahi bhai. How should I go and meet them? I took Kuldeep bhai, who had already played with them and said, ‘Kuldeep bhai, let’s talk a little about batting, come with me," Rinku stated
“So I went, I was a little nervous, thinking what should say about batting. He was explaining, explaining, explaining and I kept looking at him, looking at him. My mind was not processing what he was saying," he remarked.