Rinku Singh Earns High Praise: Ashwin Touts Him as the “Left-Handed Dhoni”

In an inspiring comparison that has sent waves of excitement through the Indian Premier League (IPL) fanbase, seasoned off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has coined Rinku Singh, the vibrant finisher for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), as the “left-handed version of Dhoni.” This flattering label not just honors Rinku’s palpable talent but also nudges him closer to the echelon of cricketing mastery exemplified by MS Dhoni, one of cricket’s most formidable finishers.

Riding on the back of a spectacular IPL season in 2023, Rinku Singh emerged as KKR’s beacon with the bat, accumulating an impressive 474 runs over 14 matches. His admirable average of 59.25 paired with a scorching strike rate of 149.52 placed him in the spotlight as a dependable linchpin in the team’s middle order. Singh’s eye-catching performances were clad in particular grandeur during an encounter against the Gujarat Titans, where he etched his name into the annals of IPL history by hammering five successive sixes off the bowling of Yash Dayal—an over that will be relived by IPL aficionados for years to come.

Amid the high-stakes drama of the IPL 2024 mini-auction, KKR further fueled their war chest, setting a new precedent by acquiring the services of the Australian pace maestro, Mitchell Starc, for a record ₹24.75 crore—announcing to their rivals an uncompromising pursuit for supremacy in the forthcoming seasons.

With KKR eying the prize in IPL 2024, the ensemble of talent within their quarters is a blend of promising prospects and seasoned campaigners. The return of the seasoned skipper Shreyas Iyer is anticipated to shore up the strategic core of the team, complementing the prowess of Andre Russell who has been in rousing form on international stages.

As the cricketing saga unfolds, all eyes will be keenly set on the Eden Gardens, where KKR is slated to duel with Sunrisers Hyderabad in a blockbuster inaugural fixture of their IPL 2024 campaign on Saturday, March 23. Given Ashwin’s endorsement of Rinku Singh and the exciting arsenal at KKR’s disposal, the stage is perfectly set for what promises to be an enthralling season of cricketing excellence.