India Vs Australia: How Rinku Singh Became A Big Match Player, Dinesh Karthik Narrates A Heartening Coach-Disciple Story Involving Abhishek Nayar

Dinesh Karthik said that Abhishek Nayar, the KKR coach, is behind the transformation of India batter Rinku Singh as a finisher. Here`s the story of coach and his student.

Rinku Singh is quickly emerging out as a finisher India needed for a very long time in the white-ball fomats. He finished another match with six (although it was not counted) to get India home against Australia in the first T20I at Visakhapatnam. Immediately after India's loss to Aussies in the World Cup final, the youngster's short but impactful innings gave hope to fans that Indian cricket was indeed in safe hands. 

Rinku has many games for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He just played one for India in the T20I. Fans are already calling him the next MS Dhoni. However, Rinku would want to keep away fom such big comparisons and stay true to himself. 

But how did thir cricketer from Aligarh, who comes from a humble background, become such a big-match player. Indian wicketkeeper and batter Dinesh Karthik, under whom Rinku has played at KKR, has an answer. 

Karthik took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain what went into making Rinku the player he is today and the man who is behind this transformation.

RCB keeper credited Abhishek Nayar, part of KKR support staff, for building a champion player like Rinku. Not to forget, Nayar had also made Karthik a better player by making him go through some difficult tasks. 

Nayar is a superb coach, who also works on building great characters and personalities in an athlete. He has done the same with Rinku. Karthik said that Rinku and Nayar's partnership began in 2018. He remember how Nayar would speak highly on Rinku even when there were no innings of substance from the batter.

Karthik said that Rinku needed a shift in the mindset and Nayar helped him achieve that and also fine-tuned his death-overs hitting skills.

When Rinku suffered an ACL injury, it was Nayar who had convinced KKR CEO Venky Mysore to keep him as part of the team and not release him. Rinku then spent some days at Nayar's house after IPL. Those were months of rehab post the injury. As a result, Rinku's mindset changed and he became a match-winner, says Karthik.

Nayar met Rinku post the India vs Australia T20I match and gave him a hug. That was a coach and student reunion. The coach in Nayar was very happy to see his student win games. Nayar would want Rinku to continue to shine for India in this format and book a spot in the squad for the T20 World Cup next year.