KKR need Rinku to fire on all cylinders not just in fleeting moments

Kolkata Knight Riders require more significant contributions from Rinku Singh beyond brief appearances.

Rinku's Brief Appearances In India's well-rounded line-up, Rinku is the perfect player for making a significant impact late in the innings with his brief appearances. Since January 2024, he has played 10 or more balls in only 10 of his 25 T20I outings. In that India XI, Rinku's job is to finish the innings, but the Kolkata Knight Riders need more from him. ## KKR's Expectations from Rinku Kolkata Knight Riders expect more than just 10-ball bursts from Rinku. Rinku is the only current India T20I batter in the squad, and it is reasonable to expect him to produce more runs and more influence across phases. He will have to deliver more runs and influence, not just when match-ups and entry points suit him, but irrespective of who is on the other side. ## Rinku's Performance in IPL 2023 Rinku started his first four games at No. 5 this season, walking in at 79 for 3, 105 for 3, 74 for 3, and 145 for 3. However, he was tied down by Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmed in Chennai, managed to deal only in singles and dots against Mohammed Shami and Avesh Khan against Lucknow Super Giants, and couldn't get boundaries away at enough frequency against Mumbai Indians. His unbeaten 33 had just four fours and came at a strike rate of 157.14 on an evening where 220 played 224. ## Rinku's Strike Rate Against Pace and Spin The reason Rinku has not looked close to his menacing best in the middle overs comes down largely to match-ups and entry points. Since IPL 2023, Rinku has struck at 167 against pace bowling, with a boundary percentage close to 70%. However, his strike rate drops to 122 against spin. In that same period, his strike rate when he goes out to bat in the last five overs is a staggering 226. When he goes to bat in the first half of the innings, his strike rate drops to 135, and it is only marginally higher at 139 when he goes to bat from overs 11 to 15. ## Rinku's Performance in the First Four Games This season, his first four games had varied entry points from overs six to 15, and combined with more exposure to spin, he has failed to influence games the way someone of his experience should at this stage of his career. The result is that across IPL 2024, 2025, and 2026 so far, he has scored fewer runs than the 474 runs he scored during his breakout IPL 2023 season. He has also managed only five scores of over 30 and no fifties since IPL 2024. ## Personal Grief and Performance Rinku's performance has been affected by personal grief, as he lost his father two months ago. Even if Rinku miraculously changes his season Sunday onwards, it might be too late to make a dent on KKR's very low qualification chances. However, the silver lining will be that KKR will get some clarity with 2027 and beyond in mind. ## Upcoming Match Against Rajasthan Royals In Sunday's afternoon game against Rajasthan Royals, Rinku will have an opportunity to apply the next step in his development. Against Ravi Bishnoi lies a tantalising match-up of 29 runs in 17 balls, but also two dismissals. Against Ravindra Jadeja, too, Rinku has strong numbers: five sixes in 34 balls for 51 runs and just one dismissal.