IPL 2023 - Virat Kohli "Batted At No. 5-6 Initially, So Does Rinku Singh...": Ex India Star's Massive Compliment

Rinku Singh became a household name in Indian cricket after his heroics for Kolkata Knight Riders against Gujarat Titans in an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 game. With 7-down Kolkata Knight Riders needing 29 runs off the last over against the defending champions, even the di-hard KKR fan would not have been hopeful. While Rashid Khan's magical hat-trick had almost sealed the game for the Hardik Pandya-led GT, winning seemed to be just a formality for the side. Yash Dayal was handed the ball in the final over and the first delivery went for a single. With 28 needed off 5 balls, GT would have thought that the game was in their pocket, however, KKR's Rinku Singh had some other idea. Rinku hit five consecutive sixes and sealed a nearly impossible victory for Nitish Rana and company.

Former India star Mohammed Kaif was effusive in his praise for Rinku. "Virat Kohli was the same age when he started playing well. Kohli used to play at No. 5-6 for RCB in initial years, so does Rinku Singh. What a performance. The last six that he hit, he actually charged down the track for that. No one had expected KKR to win, everyone had switched off the TV. But Rinku was there,” Kaif said on Star Sports.

Since the knock, the cricket world is still taking its time to believe that it has happened for real. While praises are coming in for Rinku for his masterclass, the one from his coach at KKR, Chandrakant Pandit stands apart.

Pandit put Rinku's knock parallel to Ravi Shastri's 6 sixes -- the former player hit in Ranji Trophy -- and the trophy-winning last-ball six of Javed Miandad -- the ex-Pakistan star hit against India in the final of the Austral-Asia Cup.

"In 43 years of my cricket career, being coach, playing cricket, first class