Rinku Singh drops blockbuster message to IPL franchise ahead of highly-anticipated KKR retentions for 2025 season

Rinku Singh rose to prominence during the 2023 Indian Premier League season, becoming a household name with his extraordinary performances for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

The left-handed batsman emerged as the top run-scorer for the side in the season, with one of his major highlights being a stunning display against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, where he smashed five consecutive sixes to clinch an improbable victory.

Following his standout IPL season, Rinku made his debut for India in white-ball cricket during the Ireland series in August, and since then, he has featured in two ODIs and 23 T20Is.

At 26, Rinku remains a key figure in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ lineup, and he is expected to be retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. However, if KKR decide to part ways with him, Rinku has expressed a desire to join Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru, indicating his admiration for the team and a potential future in the cash-rich league.

“RCB, because Virat Kohli is there” Rinku told Sports Tak.

Rinku Singh shares a close bond with Virat Kohli, and during the last season, he requested another bat from Kohli, explaining that the one he had previously received had broken. Although Kohli wasn’t thrilled to hear about the broken bat, he eventually relented and gifted Rinku a new one.

On Duleep Trophy snub

Rinku Singh has established himself as a crucial member of India’s T20I squad, and even though he was listed among the reserves for the T20 World Cup in June earlier this year, his value to the team was unmistakable. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar repeatedly emphasised how unfortunate it was that they couldn’t include Rinku in the main squad, highlighting the player’s significance and potential within the team.

Recently, the BCCI announced squads for the Duleep Trophy, which saw a host of current India stars, including KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Suryakumar Yadav, among others. However, Rinku’s name was missing here, too, but the batter takes a positive outlook on the snub.

“I didn’t do well. I actually didn’t play as many Ranji Trophy matches too, I played only 2-3 matches and didn’t perform well. That is why I wasn’t selected. I hope in the upcoming games, I will be selected,” Rinku told Sports Tak.