Indian batter Rinku Singh has expressed his gratitude to his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders for backing him at his worst phase. The left-hander from UP recalled how the franchise put their weight behind him when he suffered a serious knee injury in 2021.

Singh recalled that he suffered an injury while playing for Uttar Pradesh against Railways in the domestic circuit and feared that his IPL contract with KKR might be in jeopardy. However, it was not the case as KKR backed the left-hander.

“KKR backed me at my worst. There was a time I was fearing the worst after my knee injury in 2021. I was batting against Railways, wearing new shoes and spikes. I tapped my bat for a quick double and instantly heard a crack — I just fell to the ground,” Rinku said while speaking on a podcast with Raj Shamani.

“My first thought was about being ruled out. At that time, my contract was worth ₹80 lakh, and in those circumstances, that money was important to me. An MRI revealed it was a meniscus tear,” he added.

Singh said he was not sure if he would be picked again but expressed his gratitude to KKR for backing him in the next auction.

“Even though I did well in the domestic circuit, I wasn’t sure if I would be picked again. That year, both KKR and LSG were bidding for me, and eventually, KKR bought me for ₹55 lakh. That’s when I felt I had another chance to prove myself,” he said.

Singh is part of India’s Asia Cup squad but he is yet to get his chance in the playing XI. The left-hander recently scored 372 runs in nine innings in UPT20 league while leading Meerut Mavericks.

India will next take on Oman in their last Group A fixture at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Friday.