"No, Rinku Is Fine": KKR Star Humble Reply After Rejecting Sankatmochan Nickname

That night, under lights still buzzing from the chase, his 51-ball 83 stood untouched when the scoreboard froze. Five sharp grabs earlier had already shifted whispers into shouts across the stands. The final run came off an edge that slipped through gloves, sealing more than just a win. Honors followed - medal handed over with a grin - and then a curveball question tossed by the host instead of the usual script. Twenty-eight years old, standing there drenched in sweat and spotlight, he blinked before answering.

The 'Sankatmochan' Offer

As covered by Khelosports, he’d dragged KKR through rough patches - first when they slipped to 31 for 4, then again at 93 for 7. Out of nowhere, the host wondered aloud if “Rinku Sankatmochan” fit better now - a nod to his knack for easing pressure. The name means someone who lifts burdens, especially when things look grim. Moments like these tend to earn such labels. Trouble showed up early; so did he
That idea matched well with someone known for shining when things get tough. Still, Rinku - staying just as down-to-earth as ever - only grinned and said: "Nah, Rinku works."

A Knock For The Ages

That quiet answer felt nothing like the force he showed on the field. Into the chaos at the crease, with KKR collapsing around him, Rinku held firm without rushing. When Mohsin Khan ripped through with figures of 5 for 23, leaving the score at 93 for 7 by the 15th over, something shifted -

Rinku struck back hard

Out of nowhere, 62 runs piled up in only 30 balls alongside Sunil Narine, fireworks lighting the field when he launched four straight sixes off Digvesh Rathi’s last over - KKR suddenly at 155 for 7, a number nobody saw coming. Unstoppable till the end, his 83 remained not out, built patiently across 51 balls, laced with seven boundaries and five huge hits into the stands

Super Over Drama

Still going, that match refused to end quietly. Off the very final delivery, Mohammed Shami clobbered one out of the park - level score, sudden chaos. Then came the year’s opening Super

Over, drawn straight from tension

Out came the ball from Sunil Narine, handed trust by KKR. First delivery - Nicholas Pooran walked back, clean bowled. Next moment, Aiden Markram lifted a shot toward the edge of the field. Rinku reached in, glove closing fast, while Rovman Powell added support mid-air. Just one run crawled onto the board for LSG

One run to go, one ball left. A loose yorker from Prince Yadav floated too full. Instead of driving, Rinku guided it fine on the off side. The ball sneaked past fielders, rolling wide. Four runs crept in, quiet but sure. Victory arrived before the second over began
five catches and a heartfelt dedication
Beyond just scoring runs, Rinku held onto five grabs in the game, one being a key teamwork pickup at the rope when extra overs rolled around

Something about the innings felt heavier than just runs on a board. That powerful hitting? It was aimed at honoring someone gone too soon - Khanchand Singh, Rinku's dad, lost months back to advanced liver cancer. Afterward, Priya Saroj, his partner, spoke through quiet emotion. Not celebration first, but remembrance: her father-in-law weighed heavily on their hearts that day. Her words came soft, full of absence. Every boundary, every risky shot - shaped by grief. The numbers stayed behind. What counted stood beyond them

"Rinku Is Fine"

When asked about his mindset during the crisis, Rinku explained: "When I went into bat, four wickets had fallen, so I kept thinking about how I can go about it and that I have to take the game till the end. Since we had lost four wickets, it was about keeping the scoreboard moving and putting the loose balls away."

Funny thing - they started calling him "Sankatmochan," maybe even laughing while doing so. Yet somehow, the name sticks because more people see it now: moments get tense, pressure builds, and there he stands, calm, ready. When others hesitate, Rinku swings. A quiet answer slipped out of him later, grounding everything again - just a straightforward player from Aligarh, saying little, trusting strokes instead of words. Right here, right now, nothing changed. He stays steady.