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Rinku Singh sheds light on the viral videos of him asking Virat Kohli for his bat during IPL.
Rinku Singh (left) and Virat Kohli having a chat during IPL. (Screengrab)
India cricketer Rinku Singh has opened up on why he continued asking for bats from Virat Kohli during IPL and how those videos that went viral didn’t put him in a good light. During IPL last season, clips of Rinku, who represents Kolkata Knight Riders, asking Kohli for bat were widely shared on social media.
Rinku ended up breaking a bat given to him by Kohli before approaching the Royal Challengers Bengaluru superstar for a replacement. Kohli appeared miffed at first before obliging him with a new bat.
“Main thoda zyada badnaam ho gaya tha bat ke chakkar mai (I became infamous because of the bat),” Rinku told News24 Sports. “I used to meet him (Kohli) normally and then asked for a bat. The cameraman would follow me. It wasn’t being perceived well. It wasn’t good for me and bhaiya (Kohli) too as videos of bat were going viral.”
While Rinku wasn’t seen much with Kohli during IPL 2025, another Uttar Pradesh cricketer Swastik Chikara started going viral for following the former India captain like his shadow.
“For Chikara, it was a big deal to be around such a big player. He became his shadow. He learnt a lot from him,” Rinku said.
Rinku may not have pursued Kohli this time around, but he did approach MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma for their bats. “I wasn’t seen with Virat bhai this time (IPL 2025). I did get Mahi bhai’s bat and Rohit bhai’s bat. It’s a big deal for me getting the bats from such players,” he said.
Rinku says he also gifts bats especially to those who actually need them. “I have given a lot of bats myself. I do give bats to those who need them but those who have contracts, I don’t,” he said.
Rinku is part of India’s 15-man squad for Asia Cup 2025 which gets underway from September 9 in the UAE. India will play their first match on September 10 against UAE.
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital…Read More
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital… Read More
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The post‘Main Badnaam Ho Gaya’: Rinku Singh’s Hilarious Admission On Chasing Virat Kohli For Bats | Cricket News appeared first on News18