Rinku Singh joined Kolkata Knight Riders as a rookie middle-order batter ahead of the Indian Premier League 2018 season. He spent the next few years being part of the KKR squad and appearing sporadically for the three-time champions.
It was only in 2023 that Singh made a name for himself and established himself as a regular starter in the KKR setup. In the same year, Rinku got his India call-up and made his T20I debut for the Men in Blue in a series against South Africa.
During his struggling days with KKR, when he was just another squad member, Singh remembers an awkward conversation with India legend MS Dhoni.
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The incident occurred during the IPL 2020 season, a campaign that was held in UAE in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rinku travelled to UAE with the KKR and after a league stage clash against Chennai Super Kings, the southpaw got a chance to approach Dhoni.
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Rinku Singh reveals awkward first conversation with MS Dhoni
The KKR star reminisced about his first-ever interaction with Dhoni in UAE, which ended up being extremely awkward, as the youngster from Uttar Pradesh was totally awestruck.
Speaking on Raj Shamani's podcast on YouTube, Singh narrated: "I’ll tell you that scene. After COVID, there was a tournament, IPL in Dubai. It was our last match, we had lost to CSK, and I was scared, these are big players, Mahi bhai. How should I go and meet them? I took Kuldeep bhai, who had already played with them, and said, ‘Kuldeep bhai, let’s talk a little, about batting, come with me.
"So I went, I was a little nervous, thinking what should I say about batting. He was explaining, explaining, explaining, and I kept looking at him, looking at him. My mind wasn’t processing what he was saying. Then the conversation ended, and I don’t even know what he said, it all went out of my mind. Then I gave an interview, the one that went viral. The thing was, whatever Mahi bhai had told me, I didn’t remember it at all, because I was just looking at him. I was talking to such a big player for the first time, so that thing stayed in my mind. That was the scene, I had completely forgotten everything he had told me."
What next for Rinku Singh?
The 27-year-old has travelled to UAE with the Indian T20I squad that is taking part in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025.
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