'Everyone at home wanted me to play for India and when I got selected everyone danced.'
Rinku Singh's 5 sixes to take the Kolkata Knight Riders to victory over the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 will forever be etched in the memory of everyone who witnessed that spectacular knock.
Needing 28 off 5 deliveries, Rinku clobbered five successive sixes to seal a memorable win.
Crediting that 'special' IPL innings for changing his life, Rinku revealed what he felt when he received his maiden India call up for the Asian Games.
The 25 year old will be part of the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Indian men's cricket team at the Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled from September 23 to October 8.
'When I saw my name I was very emotional, I have been working for this and now I have got it,' Rinku said in a video posted by BCCI.
'Everyone at home wanted me to play for India and when I got selected everyone danced. Everyone was happy. I am excited to play for India, if given a chance I'd like to do well and our team will win and bring home the gold.
'I have worked hard in the KKR academy. Abhishek sir (KKR Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayyar) has helped me. All my hard work has paid off.
'After those five sixes life changed a lot. People knew me at the time, but I was not that popular. After that a lot of people came to know about me,' Rinku said.
He finished as the top run-getter for KKR in IPL 2023 with 474 runs at an average of 59.25 and a 149-plus strike rate.
