'You guys watch, I will be lifting the World Cup also.'
'You guys watch, I will be lifting the World Cup also,' an ecstatic Rinku Singh said after clinching the IPL 2024 title with Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai on Sunday, looking forward to the T20 showpiece in the USA and West Indies where he will be among the reserves for Team India.
Kolkata Knight Riders won their third IPL title by trouncing former champions Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the final.
KKR's batting order, both top and middle, was in form throughout the event, including Rinku. Although the 26-year-old batted in only 11 innings, he was effective with 168 runs at a strike rate of 148.67.
"I am headed to Noida first, and then, I will be going to the United States of America. You guys watch, I will be lifting the World Cup also," Rinku told Jio Cinema.
Rinku's omission from India's World Cup squad was a talking point after its announcement last month. He is among the four reserves, including star batter Shubman Gill.
Talking about KKR's performance this season, Rinku credited the entire unit and also lauded team mentor Gautam Gambhir, who returned to the side after seven years.
"You can't credit just one person because everyone has worked hard. Since GG (Gautam Gambhir) sir came, a lot of things have changed. Sending Sunil (Narine) early, he batted so well," Rinku said.
"The batters played well, and the bowling was great. Venky (Venkatesh Iyer) has been batting really well for the last five-six matches, so overall, everyone has done really well," he added.
Speaking to Shikhar Dhawan on Jio Cinema, India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant recounted how his cricket-loving father gifted him an expensive bat, leaving his mother livid.
Pant returned to professional cricket during the just-concluded Indian Premier League. He was out of action since December 2022 after suffering a horrific car accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway.
"It was my father's dream to become a cricketer, and I am glad I could fulfil it. I decided I wanted to be a cricketer when I was in the 5th grade. My dad gifted me a bat worth Rs 14,000, and my mom got super angry," he said.
Pant had a great season in IPL 2024 with Delhi Capitals, finishing as the side's highest run-scorer with 446 runs in 13 games at a strike rate of 155.40, including three half-centuries.
However, he could only lead the team to a sixth-place finish.
