Team India’s rising batter Rinku Singh recently shared details of his first-ever interaction with former captain MS Dhoni during the IPL 2020 season. Speaking on a YouTube podcast hosted by Raj Shamani, released on Tuesday, September 9, Rinku recalled feeling extremely nervous ahead of the meeting.
To ease the pressure, he even took along his then Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) teammate Kuldeep Yadav for company. The left-handed batter admitted that he was so overwhelmed in Dhoni’s presence that he kept staring at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend, completely forgetting what Dhoni was saying at the time. Rinku revealed:
“I’ll tell you that scene. After COVID, there was a tournament, IPL in Dubai. It was our last match, we had lost to CSK, and I was scared, these are big players, Mahi bhai. How should I go and meet them? I took Kuldeep bhai, who had already played with them, and said, ‘Kuldeep bhai, let’s talk a little, about batting, come with me.’”
“I was nervous and kept staring at Mahi bhai while he spoke. My mind wasn’t processing anything, and I forgot everything he told me. Talking to such a big player for the first time, I just couldn’t focus on his words,” Rinku said.
Rinku Singh seeks Dhoni’s guidance on death-overs mindset
Rinku Singh further mentioned that he sometimes connects with former India captain MS Dhoni over phone calls, seeking to understand his mindset and approach to handling pressure in the death overs. He stated:
“In the 2023 tournament, we had talked. Sometimes, we talk on call because he used to bat at the same number. So I asked him about his mindset, how he stayed during the last overs. He was saying the same thing, in the last overs it is very important to stay completely calm and to believe in yourself.”
“The number is such that it’s not easy to hit, world-class bowlers are in front of you, so it’s not easy to hit. He used to explain that, whatever ball comes, just react accordingly.”
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