Rinku Singh recalls flying on charter plane with Shah Rukh Khan after T20 WC snub: 'He said things like...'

Rinku Singh is one of the best examples of rags to riches all thanks to his cricketing prowess. Rinku had already become a regular in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) setup but the night he smoked Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes in the final over of a run-chase was the moment he attained overnight stardom. The ruthless show by Rinku is fondly recalled as one of the most memorable moments in the 18-year history of the competition, and arguably in some way or the other it also paved a way for him into the Indian dressing room.

However, it was always difficult for a relatively new player like Rinku to retain a spot in the star-studded Indian side, which included Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli among others. And exactly that happened as Rinku failed to make the cut for the Indian squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup.

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Rinku, however, still had the opportunity to travel with the senior pros to the Caribbean and the USA for the marquee event as a reserve. It was natural for Rinku to feel disappointed after the snub, and compounding his woes was the underwhelming performance in the IPL 2024. In 11 innings all Rinku could muster was 168 runs at a poor average of 18.67.