KKR recruit Rinku hopes to use Raina's advice to play freely

Catapulted into limelight after bagging a contract with Kolkata Knight Riders, Rinku Singh is hoping to follow the advice of his idol Suresh Raina and play freely when he makes his IPL debut for the two-time former champions.

Rinku, who comes from a poor family in Aligarh, was picked by KKR for Rs 80 lakh, four times' higher than his base after an intense bidding war with Mumbai Indians.

While watching the bidding war from his small two-room house in an LPG company's godown where his father works as a delivery man, Rinku got a congratulatory message from Raina.

"It read 'bindaas khelna, jyada pressure mat lena', (play freely without taking any pressure). It was special for me," the KKR's left-handed batsman told PTI in an interview at the team hotel. "I never thought I will get Rs 80 lakh, I thought I would get about Rs 30-35 lakh."
"Before I could speak about myself, my room partner told him that I consider him as his idol. I told him I am also a left-handed batsman. He soon gifted me the bat and gloves."
Rinku says he loves Raina's inside out shot. "Soon we bonded well, spoke a lot about the game. I asked him about IPL, the batting and fielding. I love his inside out shot, that's my favourite."
"I'm the first from Aligarh to play for IPL. The cricket craze has now increased. Those who did not practice are taking the sport seriously now."