"He has made a mark for himself" - Aakash Chopra lauds Rinku Singh's fighting knock for KKR vs LSG in IPL 2022

Aakash Chopra has lauded Rinku Singh for grabbing his chances and playing a belligerent knock in Wednesday's (May 18) IPL 2022 game between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Singh smoked 40 runs off 15 balls in KKR's chase of a mammoth 211-run target at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. His knock took Shreyas Iyer's side to the cusp of victory but could not take them across the line, as they tantalisingly fell short by just two runs.

While reviewing the KKR-LSG clash in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was effusive in his praise for Rinku Singh, saying:

"I am talking about Rinku Singh. He has made a mark for himself. I love the way Rinku batted, I love the way he fields. He even wrote in his hand one day that he will be the Player of the Match and he became one that day as well. I am very happy for him."

The former KKR player pointed out that the match was almost done and dusted at one stage in LSG's favour. Chopra explained:

"The match was over, Sunil Narine was batting alongside Rinku Singh. Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Sam Billings - everyone had gotten dismissed and it seemed nothing was going to happen in the match, the story is over, how can you win?"

Chopra highlighted that Rinku Singh almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat before Evin Lewis took an unbelievable catch to dismiss him. He elaborated:

"There our Rinku comes and scores 40 runs off just 15 balls, with two fours and four sixes. Plenty of runs were required in the last over but he almost scored those. Sixes and fours but then when he got out and the catch Evin Lewis held, you lost your mind, that the match was going on in a different world."

Rinku Singh smashed a four and two sixes off the first three deliveries when KKR needed 21 runs off the last over bowled by Marcus Stoinis. However, Lewis took a brilliant diving left-handed catch running in from deep point to get rid of the left-hander when just three runs were required of the final two deliveries.

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"Rinku Singh grabbed this opportunity with both hands" - Aakash Chopra

Rinku Singh has excelled for KKR in IPL 2022 [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra concluded by observing that Rinku Singh has made the most of the opportunities he has got in IPL 2022. Chopra pointed out:

"Life or cricket gave him another opportunity, he was getting few chances, he has been there with this team for a long time but he didn't use to get that many opportunities and when he got them he couldn't make the best use of them. But this year he got chances because the others didn't perform well and Rinku Singh grabbed this opportunity with both hands."

Rinku Singh, who didn't play the initial games of IPL 2022, was roped into the playing XI after indifferent performances from some of the other players. The Uttar Pradesh left-hander scored 174 runs in the tournament at an impressive average of 34.80 and an excellent strike rate of 148.71.