Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee praised Kolkata Knight Riders opener Rinku Singh on Monday, May 8, after the 25-year-old produced another incredible last-ball finish against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Rinku hit a boundary on the final ball of the final over, when KKR only needed two runs to reach the difficult goal of 180 and remain in contention for the playoffs.
The left-handed batter batted left-handed and hit 21* balls, including two fours and a six. He then combined with Andre Russell to score 54 runs off 27 balls, which was enough to win the game.
In an interview, Brett Lee praised Rinku Singh’s exciting style of cricket.
“He did everything he could to make them fall in love with Rinku Singh.” He is a match-winner and an entertainer, and he always comes out on top. It’s exciting to see a young player accomplish something like that. “He’s going to become well-known, and he’s doing a good job with cricket.”
Earlier in the season, Rinku delivered a variety of hits that helped KKR win two consecutive games against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Gujarat Titans (GT).
When KKR were 47/3 against RCB, Rinku hit 46 off 33 balls to help them get back on track and finish with 204-7 in 20 overs.
Then, against GT, he smashed 48 off 21 balls, including five sixes off the last five balls. To win the game, his team needed 29 runs off the final six balls.
After another last-ball miracle against the Punjab Kings, former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel praised Rinku Singh’s hitting and ability to remain calm under pressure.
Rinku has been KKR’s best batsman this season. He has 337 runs scored with a batting average of 56.17 and a strike rate of 151.12. He’s also scored two half-centuries.
Patel stated to Jio Cinema:
“He has a huge amount of work to do.” It is critical to perform well under pressure. It reveals the type of player you are and how you think. “We saw Rinku Singh’s skill when he hit those five sixes in one over, but today was a lot harder.”
