My mother borrowed money from others to keep me going: Rinku Singh

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Young Indian batter Rinku Singh has said that he has seen his family face financial struggles and “wanted to help them overcome through cricket”.

In the first match of the three-match T20I series against Ireland on Friday, Indian batter Rinku Singh was given his T20 International debut. However, the match was hit by rain and Indian won through the DLS method. Rinku did not get a chance to showcase his skills with the bat.

Speaking to JioCinema, Rinku Singh spoke about his arduous journey and burning desire of earning his maiden India call up

“It is a nice feeling (being part of the Indian team setup) because I have worked very hard to reach here. I picked up cricket almost 10-12 years ago and the one goal my parents set for me was to represent the country. They felt IPL is played by so many but only a few get picked for the Indian team so they wanted me to make the most of my opportunities in IPL and get to the Indian team. And now their dream is about to come true,” he said. 

Asked what he was doing when heard about India selection, an emotional cricketer said, “I was in Noida with my friends when I got a call about my selection. Immediately after the news I called my mother and she got very emotional. Listening to her emotion-laced voice, I couldn’t control the tears of happiness. They were waiting for this moment for a while now.”

“A lot of blood and sweat has gone behind to earn this call. My passion for the sport helped me wade through a lack of support and financial hardships. One thing that kept the desire burning was to give my family a good life, which was possible if I moved up the ladder in the sport. I had that self-belief and that made me stronger and helped me in my journey which has taken a new turn.”

“I have seen my family face financial struggles and I wanted to help them overcome through cricket. That desire to get them out of the grind kept me going. It kept me motivated to work hard and keep up my efforts. My family had a massive role in my journey to date. When they didn’t have enough to fund my career, my mother borrowed money from others to keep me going. Where I am today is because of the support I have got from them,” he added.

You have had impressive outings in IPL, how are you preparing yourself mentally for international cricket? He said, “The efforts are the same to be honest, but the pressure is a little more. The intention is to continue to do things the same way I did during the IPL, keep my calm during batting and focus on the role I have in the team.”

“I have achieved the first goal I set out to achieve, that is, to get selected for the Indian team. From here on, I will do everything within my capabilities, give my hundred per cent to achieve the team’s desired results and be in the mix for as long as I can.”