Rinku Singh, Who Was Sold For INR 80 Lakh In IPL Auction, Had Gifted A Car Worth INR 11 Lakh To Parents

Uttar Pradesh batter Rinku Singh has made his name in the cricketing circuit because of consistent performances in both domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League. Singh, who comes from a very humble background, belongs to Aligarh. Khanchandra Singh (Rinku’s father) used to deliver LPG cylinders, whereas one of his brothers was an auto-rickshaw driver.

Singh dropped out of school after just ninth standard because of poor financial conditions. He was once offered a cleaning job at a coaching centre but he denied the same to focus on his game. Singh got his first IPL contract in 2017 when Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) bought him for a price of INR 10 lakh.

The following year, Kolkata Knight Riders acquired his services for INR 80 lakh. Yet to make his IPL debut, this was a dream-come-true moment for the left-handed batter as he even got to play for the franchise that season. Right after the tournament, Rinku Singh gifted an INR 11 lakh car (Maruti Suzuki Brezza) to his parents.

Rinku Singh, Who Was Sold For INR 80 Lakh In IPL Auction, Had Gifted A Car Worth INR 11 Lakh To Parents

Rinku, who had registered himself for INR 20 lakh in IPL 2018 auction, was the cause of a bidding contest between KKR and Mumbai Indians. In spite of Kolkata successfully buying him, it wasn’t a great season for him as all he managed were 29 runs across four matches at an average of 7.25. Keeping his talent in mind, he was retained for the next season as well.

After getting selected, Singh was elated and said that it will allow him to organize a grand marriage ceremony for his sister. His family was also over the moon as it was a story to remember for someone who faced so many challenges in his childhood.

“Last year, after being picked in the auction, I started dreaming of organizing a glittering wedding for my sister. Now that KKR has taken me for INR 80 lakh, my dream has strengthened,” Rinku was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times back in the day.

It is noteworthy that Rinku Singh impressed everyone with his striking ability in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2017-18 ahead of the auction. He scored 186 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 146.45. He smashed 19 fours and six sixes in the process. Singh also was a part of MI’s trial camp where he played a blistering knock of 91 (31).

Maruti Suzuki Brezza was the first car of Singh’s family. It comes in a lot of variants and the price we have mentioned is for the top model of in 2018. It has a 1,248 cc engine and gives mileage of around 24.29 km/l. The car just comes in a diesel variant with both manual and automatic options. This is one of the bestselling compact SUVs in India.

Rinku Singh IPL Auction Price Year-By-Year

Readers must note that Rinku was forced to miss IPL 2021 due to a knee injury. Retained by Kolkata until that point, they had to release him for the next IPL 2022 mega auction. Having said that, they managed to buy him for a lesser price before IPL 2022.

“He [Rinku Singh] was part of KKR Academy in 2018. He is our homegrown boy, in a way. He has been having stellar domestic seasons for a long time now. Always piles up runs. He’s an amazing fielder. Amazing person to have in the team. He’s a quintessential team man,” Jhanvi Mehta, daughter of actor and KKR co-owner Juhi Chawla, had said during the auction.