Rinku Singh 2.0: Hungry, fearless and more determined

Rinku Singh's IPL career has finally taken off, after 10 matches spreading three forgettable seasons and a career-threatening knee injury. The son of a LPG cylinder delivery man grabbed the headlines in 2018 when he became yet another IPL rags-to-riches story after being signed by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 80 lakh -- four times his base price. But the fairy tale did not last long. Having made a mark in domestic cricket with his power-hitting, the left-hander failed to deliver at the biggest stage, and in four matches in his debut season, he averaged 7.25 with a strike-rate of 93.54.

In 2019, Rinku made just 37 runs from five matches and got only one game in 2020 before missing out of the Covid-hit 2021 season due to a knee injury during UP's memorable Vijay Hazare Trophy 2020-21 campaign, when they made the final for the first time in 16 years. The UP cricketer went under the knife and then fought his way back with useful contributions in the domestic circuit earlier this year, resulting in him being bought back by his former franchise for Rs 55 lakh. Rinku's idol Suresh Raina, a three-time IPL winner with Chennai Super Kings and under whom he made his UP debut, has seen the 24-year-old's topsy-turvy career from very close quarters. "'Is baar achha karoonga mein' (This time I'll make it). The hunger in him was evident seeing him going through the grind in training," Raina told PTI about Rinku's latest rise. "He has worked a lot on his fitness post injury and made a proper comeback. He has scored a lot of runs in domestic cricket and it's showing in his form now," Raina added. Rinku got a chance in the ongoing IPL in only their eighth match (vs Gujarat Titans), after KKR suffered a hat-trick of defeats. His best came