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Indian middle-order batter Rinku Singh's fiery finishes with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and international cricket has earned him plenty of acclaim within a short period of time.
Whenever this Uttar Pradesh-born youngster bats, fans always expect a flurry of boundaries and sixes. More often than not, the left-handed batter obliges and delivers a stunning finish that skyrockets the team's total. One such instance was during the T20I series against South Africa in December 2023. During the first T20I at Gqeberha's St John's Park, Rinku smashed an unbeaten 68 in 39 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 174.35 and took India to a competitive total of 180/7. South Africa won the match though, chasing down a revised target of 152 runs in 15 overs due to rain. Rinku's maiden half-century left a massive imprint on his fans. One of his sixes hit the media box glass, stunning the people sitting there. Now, fast forward to January 2025, the glass is still broken and has not been repaired. The reasoning behind is also pretty interesting. Not only is the stadium and its staff facing some budget issues, but they also want Rinku to come back and sign the damaged piece of glass so that it can be kept in the stadium's office as a piece in remembrance of that memorable knock. A ground official told ANI during the tournament opener of SA20 season three between MI Cape Town and Sunrisers Eastern Cape at the venue, "There is no harm from the glass to anyone we feel. We are feeling some budget issues as one of the stadium stand's roof was blown away by a storm in August and we spent a lot of money on that. Also, we want Rinku to come back here, sign the piece of glass, so that we can put it in a frame in our office." Though Rinku apologised to the ground staff later after the match for breaking the glass, their gesture and admiration for Rinku is a proof how good cricket wins no matter what. In 30 T20Is for India since 2023, he has made 507 runs at an average of 46.09 with a strike rate of 165.14 and best score of 69*. He also has played two ODIs, scoring 55 runs with best score of 38. (ANI)
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