Rinku Singh Biography, Age, Stats, IPL Journey, Net Worth
Rinku Singh
Like every generation of Indian cricket, there is a story that goes beyond the game itself. Like this of the life of Rinku Singh is also such story. Coming from a poor background in a small town of Uttar Pradesh having once applied for a job as a sweeper, it’s come to this: Rinku Singh smashed five sixes the most dramatic five sixes cricket has ever witnessed (perhaps other than MS Dhoni’s 6 at Wankhede) and suddenly he is one of India’s trusted T20 finishers. The things that his journey teaches us are not only cricket they teach us resilience, patience and self-belief.
Personal Details
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Rinku Khanchand Singh |
| Date of Birth | 12 October 1997 |
| Age (2026) | 28 years |
| Birthplace | Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Height | 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) |
| Batting Style | Left-handed |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm off break (occasional) |
| Domestic Team | Uttar Pradesh |
| IPL Team | Kolkata Knight Riders (Vice-Captain, 2026) |
| Role | Middle-order finisher |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Early Life and Family Background
Rinku was born on 12 October 1997 in Aligarh, a city of western Uttar Pradesh. The third of five siblings in a working-class family anchored by the realities of economic hardship and sheer subsistence.
Khanchand Singh, his father worked in an LPG gas cylinder distribution company. The family lived in a small two-room accommodation given at subsidised rates to the employer, which was nearby Aligarh Stadium. Being brought up within a stone’s throw of a cricket ground would have been an unannounced but strong influence over young Rinku.
His mother is Veena Devi who managed the home and his elder brothers are Sonu and Mukul while he has two younger brothers Shilu and Jeetu along with a sister named Neha in their family of seven members. His one sibling was an auto-rickshaw driver, making this a familiar portrait of a household in which each and every rupee mattered.
However, these struggles did not stop Rinku from developing a passion for cricket as an early age. He was seen playing with anything and everything on streets, on roads, in alleys and parks close to his house.
School Life and the Turning Point
Rinku Singh has got admission in a school in Aligarh, the Delhi Public School not on the basis of merit but through sports quota. Swapnil Jain, the principal of a nearby school, saw young Rinku batting in an innings of 68 not out and immediately noticed he was something special.
The financial burden at home, however, was too great for formal education to withstand. Rinku discontinued after the ninth standard not because he could not cope, but because he had to. There was even a time he was offered a cleaner’s job in the coaching centre to help the family. He rejected, telling his family in no uncertain terms that cricket would be his route out.
That was a defining moment. Instead, Rinku opted for belief himself over near-term stability a decision that ultimately turned everything around.
Domestic Cricket Career
Rinku Singh’s domestic cricket journey is one of understated, consistent brilliance that remained under the radar until IPL thrust him into bright lights.
Having played at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-23 levels for Uttar Pradesh, he made his List A debut in March 2014 when he was just 16. He announced himself with authority in that very first match, scoring 83 runs the highest score of the innings.
Born in a cricketing family, and known for his raw style of play, he made his first class debut for Uttar Pradesh in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy on November 5, 2016. What transpired in the subsequent 2018-19 Ranji Trophy was remarkable. Overall, He was the highest run scorer for Uttar Pradesh in the group stage, scoring 803 runs across it nine innings. He finished the tournament with 953 runs from ten matches including four hundreds, at scores of 149, 149, 150 and an unbeaten 163 (Average:105.88).
He scored four fifties and a century in six innings in the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy, continuing his reputation as one of India’s leading domestic performers. But not yet, so far away was the national call-up.
IPL Career with Kolkata Knight Riders
This is where Rinku Singh would go on to pen the final chapter of his myth during the Indian Premier League.
Kings XI Punjab (2017): Kings XI Punjab in the 2017 auction bought Rinku for the base price but he did not play a single match. It was a muted entry into the most glamorous cricket league in the planet.
Kolkata Knight Riders (2018 onwards): KKR acquired Rinku at the 2018 auctions with a bid of Rs. 80 lakh He made his IPL debut (IPL) on 8 April 2018 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Mumbai Indians. His initial campaigns were subdued in terms of production, but that was OK for the franchise in waiting.
He had been ruled out of the entire 2021 IPL owing to a meniscus tear in his right knee, which hurt him even more personally. He later would remember that his dad had not eaten for two to three days out of concern. Having recovered, KKR bought him back for Rs. 55 lakh in the 2022 mega-auction.
IPL 2022: He scored 174 runs in seven matches with his maiden Player of the Match performance being a 42 off 23 balls against Rajasthan Royals.
IPL 2023 The Dramatic Turnaround: KKR V/S Gujarat Titans, 9 April 2023- With the requirement of 29 runs from the last over bowled by Yash Dayal. Highly unlikable to KKR, most observers had counted the franchise but of course it was. Rinku Singh had other ideas. He pulled off the highest successful last-over chase in IPL history, putting away five sixes from the final five deliveries. It was that one over which turned him into a household name throughout India – in a moment.
The performance led him to become KKR’s leading run-scorer in IPL 2023 amassing over 474 runs at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52 He was named the vice-captain of KKR in preparation for IPL 2026.
Rinku Singh International Career
T20 Internationals
He made his T20I debut on 18 August 2023, for India against Ireland in Malahide. In the first game, he didn’t bat and in the second game, after 38 off 21 balls earned him his maiden international Player of the Match award.
Rinku’s 105 runs and fastest strike rate of any Indian batter in a five-match T20I home series against Australia (November 2023) Later that month in South Africa, he scored his first T20I fifty.
His international career in 2024 was punctuated by one of its highlights – an unbroken 190-run partnership with Rohit Sharma against Afghanistan, the highest ever in T20I cricket for India and the world record for the fifth wicket.
He was member of the Indian squad travelling reserves during India’s campaign in 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. Rinku scored the winning runs against Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup (2025) held at Dubai and India went on to win the trophy. He played as a fully-fledged member in the Indian team which lifted the 2026 T20 World Cup.
He made national side return in January 2026 for the home T20I series against New Zealand. In the opening match of India’s opening victory at Nagpur, he scored an undefeated 44 (off 20 balls).
ODI Internationals
On 19 December 2023 vs South Africa; Rinku Debuted (ODI). After starting as a 17-run batsman, and taking the wicket of Rassie van der Dussen on debut. He has played relatively few ODIs but is still learning his game in that format.
Career Statistics
T20 Internationals
| Stat | Figures |
| Matches | 30+ |
| Runs | 500+ |
| Highest Score | 69* |
| Strike Rate | 160+ |
IPL Career
| Stat | Figures |
| Matches | 60+ |
| Total Runs | 1,177+ |
| Highest Score | 67* |
| Strike Rate | ~149 |
| Fifties | 4 |
Major Achievements and Records
- First batter to score five fours in as last over (successful chase)
- Only the second player Globally to hit five sixes in one IPL over (only Chris Gayle also)
- T20Is highest partnership (190) for any country with Rohit Sharma Colombia, 14/07/2016
- Winner of 2026 ICC T20 World Cup with Team India
- Team India: 2025 Asia Cup winner
- India- Team : Gold medal 2022 Asian Games
- Most Runs for UP in 2018-19 Ranji Trophy (953 runs)
- IPL 2026: Appointed vice-captain of Kolkata Knight Riders
Playing Style and Strengths
Rinku Singh Rinkusinh is a left-handed middle-order batter who possesses the remarkable knack for striking the ball out of the park in high-pressure situations. Raw power alone does not make him uniquely effective, it is temperament. He feeds off the score line pressure when it appears impossible and climbing a mountain top.
All that is not to deny he offers pristine wristy stroke-making, quick length detection and solid base; particularly in the death overs with good shot selection. Not only is he one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket, but he’s also a gun fielder as well, taking those sharp catches and saving runs from the ropes.
He doubles as a right-arm off-break bowler but only breaks out that type of bowling in an emergency.
Rinku Singh Net Worth and Income Sources
The batting rise of Rinku Singh has been like his financial rise slow to start but strong finishes. The approximate net worth of him in 2026 is around Rs. 20 to 30 crore, the currently drastically increased from IPL 2023 season.
Income Breakdown:
- IPL Salary: Rs. 130 million retained player for KKR 2025, increased from Rs.55 Lakh in previous years
- BCCI Central Contract: Grade C ($1.5-2 million)
- Match Fees: Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 1 crore for international appearances a year
- Brand Endorsements: With brands such as JBL, SG, MRF, Zomato, My11Circle, Boost and CEAT Tyres. In the JBL “Mute The World” campaign with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
- Investments : Invested Rs.1.9 crore in BeastLife, signaling first business diversification foray
Rinku, who made headlines with his IPL 2023 performance, later bought a Rs. 3.5 crore bungalow in Aligarh’s Ozone City a multi-floor home on a plot of about 500 sq yards complete with rooftop bar. The boy who grew up in a two-room are company quarter now owns a house that he once could only dream about
Personal Life and Relationships
Rinku Singh is engaged with Priya Saroj (Samajwadi Party MP from Machhlishahr, Jaunpur) on 8 June 2025. The engagement ceremony was graced by luminaries from the cricketing as well as political fraternity in Lucknow.
That was initially followed by a wedding for November 2025, however it never happened and the two neighbours were left no choice but to postpone with clashes on their schedules. As per reports coming in March 2026, after wrapping up IPL assignments, the wedding is placed for June 2026 at Varanasi.
In February 2026, Rinku suffered a tragic personal loss when his father Khanchand Singh succumbed to stage-4 liver cancer. Prior to his death, he had been on a ventilator. Meanwhile, Rinku was attached with the Indian team as they prepared for the T20 World Cup 2026 and was granted compassionate leave. Rinku shared an emotional post dedicated to his father wishing he would have seen him live Bollywood film spin on feeling top of the world after India’s World Cup win.
Social Media Presence
Rinku Singh has a big social media fan following and its all set to grow larger especially on the photo sharing site. He posts behind-the-scenes moments on and off the pitch in training, during matches, at family events and around brand campaigns. The young Indian cricketer has also built a massive social media presence, and his relatability along with his genuine authenticity have placed him among one of the most followed youngsters in India on these platforms.
- Instagram: @rinkukumar12
- Twitter/X: @rinkusingh235
Interesting and Lesser-Known Facts
- Rinku Singh was born on 12 Oct, the same birthday as celebrated former Indian cricketer Vijay Merchant.
- He was even offered a cleaning job at a coaching centre before deciding he wanted to take cricket seriously.
- The very day Rinku got picked up by Kings XI Punjab in the 2017 IPL auction, his father gave up his LPG distribution job.
- His childhood home was in the vicinity that Aligarh Stadium where he grew up listening to the sounds of cricket.
- His innings of 91 runs from only 31 balls against Mumbai Indians during a campaign match first drew him attention from IPL franchises.
- In June 2025, Rinku was designated as an officer in the Uttar Pradesh state education department via sports quota.
- At 5 feet, 5 inches tall he is one of the shortest current Indian international cricketers yet regularly hits the ball further than most.
FAQs
Q1. What is Rinku Singh’s full name?
His full name is Rinku Khanchand Singh.
Q2. When did Rinku Singh make his international debut?
He made his T20I debut on 18 August 2023 against Ireland in Dublin, and his ODI debut on 19 December 2023 against South Africa.
Q3. Which is Rinku Singh’s most famous innings?
His most iconic innings came on 9 April 2023 in IPL, when he hit five consecutive sixes in the last over against Gujarat Titans to win a match from an almost impossible position, chasing 29 runs off the final over.
Q4. What is Rinku Singh’s net worth in 2026?
Estimates vary across sources, but his net worth in 2026 is broadly placed between Rs. 20 to 30 crore, driven by his IPL contract of Rs. 13 crore, BCCI earnings, and brand endorsements.
Q5. Which team does Rinku Singh play for in IPL?
He plays for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and was appointed their vice-captain for IPL 2026.
Q6. Who is Rinku Singh engaged to?
He got engaged to Priya Saroj, a Samajwadi Party MP from Uttar Pradesh, in June 2025.
Q7. Has Rinku Singh won any international trophies?
Yes. He was part of the Indian team that won the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, the 2025 Asia Cup, and the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games.
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