Rinku Singh opens up about feeling wary of asking Virat Kohli for a bat
The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League presented Indian cricket fans with an endearing interaction. Virat Kohli, one of the most celebrated veterans of Indian cricket, was seen in an interesting conversation with the rising star, Rinku Singh. The KKR batsman announced his arrival in the setup with a miraculous knock in IPL 2023. Smashing five consecutive sixes in the final over against Yash Dayal, Rinku pulled off a near-impossible chase for KKR against GT. His knock immediately put Rinku on the map as the cricketer attracted widespread attention and praise. Already a famous name by IPL 2024, Rinku was seen asking for a bat from Virat Kohli.
Rinku Singh opens up about his viral incident with Virat Kohli, calls it an 'infamous' moment
Every IPL season brings in new talent, and for most young cricketers, Virat Kohli is the role model. Kohli, who started out with RCB in the inaugural IPL season, now commands a massive fanfare across the world. It's only fitting that the modern-day legend is approached by the younger generation of cricketers. Rinku Singh emerged as one of them. Rinku was inducted into the Indian T20I team after his impressive run in IPL 2023. While Virat Kohli has now retired from the shorter format, Rinku Singh has also played with the senior batter in the Indian national cricket team.
Meanwhile, a particular video from IPL 2024 displayed the bond that Rinku shared with his senior. In the clip that spread like wildfire on the internet, Rinku was seen asking Virat Kohli for a bat. The video showed Rinku hesitantly telling Kohli that he had damaged the bat that the senior previously gave him. Kohli took the conversation in stride, grilling the young batsman and asking how he damaged it. Moreover, Kohli also mockingly denied giving another bat to Rinku before caving in and presenting a bat to the KKR player.
The video went viral swiftly thereafter, with Indian fans dissecting the wholesome interaction. Unfortunately for the audience, IPL 2025 did not stage any such interactions between Kohli and Rinku again. Now, in a recent interaction, Rinku Singh opened up about the incident. While the majority of the viewers were delighted with the viral video, the KKR batter is of the opinion that it somewhat tarnished his image.
Rinku Singh explained that it was a normal anecdote for the youngster to approach Kohli for a bat. However, the cameraman followed him, and the resulting video did not show Rinku in a positive light. Reflecting on the incident further, Rinku revealed that in IPL 2025, the season that followed the Virat Kohli incident, he approached MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma and asked for bats. However, Rinku clarified that he was not filmed with Kohli that season.
"(Main thoda zyada badnaam ho gaya tha) I had become a little too infamous because of the bat. I used to meet him (Kohli) normally and then asked for a bat. The cameraman would follow me. It wasn't being perceived well. It wasn't good for me or for bhaiya (Kohli) either, as videos of the bat were going viral," Rinku said.
"This time, I wasn't seen with Virat Bhai (in IPL 2025). I took Mahi Bhai's (MS Dhoni's) bat this time, and also Rohit (Rohit Sharma) Bhai's bat. It's a really big deal for me because getting bats from such big players is a huge thing," he added.
Rinku Singh has been named in the India squad for Asia Cup 2025. The KKR batsman, meanwhile, is making waves in the Uttar Pradesh Premier League as he gears up for the ACC tournament. Leading Meerut Mavericks in the T20 league, Rinku smashed 108 off 48 to complete a brilliant chase against the Gaur Gorakhpur Lions. Rinku observed a subdued run in IPL 2025, and it is not clear whether the middle-order batter can secure a spot in the India Playing XI for the Asia Cup. However, the batter talked about being motivated after seeing his name in the Asia Cup squad.
"I got motivated after I saw my name on the Asia Cup list. I did not do well last year, and I felt that it was possible that I would get left out. But the selectors showed trust in me and selected me, and that gave me a confidence boost. The innings that I played in the UP T20 League has boosted my confidence, and I would take it there," Rinku had said following his ton in the UP T20 league.
