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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh took Indian cricket by storm, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat by smashing five successive sixes in final five balls of last over to seal a thrilling three-wicket win against Gujarat Titans (GT at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Rinku set a record for most runs by any batter in the 20th over of an IPL run-chase.
And from team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan to Indian great Sachin Tendulkar, everyone was left in awe of Rinku’s match-winning 21-ball 48 not-out.
SRK tweeted: JHOOME JO RINKUUUUU !!! My baby @rinkusingh235 And @NitishRana_27 & @venkateshiyer you beauties!!! And remember Believe that’s all. Congratulations @KKRiders and @VenkyMysore take care of your heart sir!
Shreyas Iyer, KKR's regular skipper who is currently out of IPL 2023 due to back injury, also posted a story on Insta.
"What a match, unbelievable. Rinku bhai kabhi na haare! (What a match, unbelievable, Rinku bhai never loses!)," said Iyer's story.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif also tweeted: ‘So happy for Rinku Singh. One of the most hard-working cricketer I have known. He is from Aligarh, very modest family background. His first season with the UP team was my last," said Kaif.
"A match that went down to the wire and continued shifting momentum. One felt Rashid's hat-trick was a game-changer but Rinku's power-hitting was something special. Enjoyed the last few moments. This amazing game continues to teach us that it's not over till it's over. #GTvKKR," tweeted Tendulkar.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), another IPL franchise took to Twitter to express their awe and inspiration at Rinku's knock.
"Awestruck and inspired by what we witnessed earlier tonight! Top knock under pressure, Rinku! #PlayBold #GTvKKR #IPL2023," tweeted RCB.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) also acknowledged Rinku's knock, drawing parallels with West Indies all-rounder Carlos Braithwaite's knock against England in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2016, where he smashed Ben Stokes for four successive sixes in final over to seal WI's second title.
"Rinku Singh Carlos Brathwaite "Remember the name!" #IPL2023 #T20WorldCup," tweeted ICC.
Legendary Indian opener Virender Sehwag also tweeted, "All hail Lord Rinku Singh. 5 sixes in 5 balls in the last over of a run chase. One of the best last over-hitting in a chase that you would ever see. #KKRvGT."
"Unbelievable hitting by @rinkusingh235 What a win by KKR," tweeted former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan.