The journey of India’s star batter Rinku Singh is nothing short of exceptional. Coming from a humble background, he turned the fortunes of his family with the help of cricket.
The southpaw shot to prominence when he hit five sixes against Yash Dayal in the final over of an Indian Premier League chase against Gujarat Titans in 2023. That terrific performance made Rinku a household name, and he subsequently earned a call-up to the national team. He quickly became a regular in India’s T20I team.
During a recent interview on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Rinku recalled his childhood struggles, revealing a physical difference in his hands due to a monkey attack.
“The most dangerous bite he gave me happened when it was raining. At that time, in the house there wasn’t really a washroom, so we used to go to the fields. It was the rainy season, so me, my brother, and my friend were going, carrying an umbrella. As we were going, someone behind us shouted, ‘The monkey has come.’ Then it came from behind and caught me. I was completely pinned down, and it kept biting me again and again. It tore out a lot of my flesh, a lot. There weren’t many people around to save me. My brother was throwing stones at it, but it wouldn’t leave me. It bit me very badly,” said Rinku.
Rinku, a lower-order batter with superb hitting skills, often plays crucial cameos to help his team to post big totals or chase down huge targets. However, he has recently faced criticism for a dip in form, having scored only one fifty in his last 13 T20I innings.
Rinku has been picked in India’s 15-member squad for Asia Cup but experts are not sure about the player getting included in the playing XI.
The continental event kicked off on September 9 while India begin their campaign on September 10 with a match against hosts United Arab Emirates.