Rinku Singh names his cricketing idol and it's not MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli

Rinku Singh has been named in the Indian T20I squad for the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China.

Ace Uttar Pradesh and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh has named his idol in cricket and surprisingly it is not MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli. Rinku recently earned his maiden Indian call-up for the upcoming Asian Games 2023 tournament.

Calls for Rinku Singh to be a part of the Indian T20I team rose louder following his outstanding performance for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). He had an amazing tournament with 474 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2023 at a strike rate of almost 160.

The left-hander will most likely don the Blue jersey as India will attempt to win their first-ever cricket appearance at the Asian Games despite missing the journey to the West Indies.

Rinku Singh identified his cricket hero after being selected for the first time by the national squad. Rinku identified former Indian star Suresh Raina as the athlete he most admires and revealed that he often communicates with both Raina and Harbhajan Singh. Raina was dubbed the "IPL King" by Rinku.

Suresh Raina has been my idol: Rinku Singh

It's important to note that Raina and Rinku are both from the same state, Uttar Pradesh.

"Suresh Raina has been my idol. I am regularly in touch with him. He is the IPL King and he keeps sharing his inputs with me. He has helped me a lot in my career. Bhajju pa (Harbhajan Singh) has also helped me a lot in my career. I am grateful for their support and whenever such big players talk about you, it motivates you to push yourself more," said Rinku in an interaction with RevSportz.

Talking about his call-up to the national team, the 25-year-old admitted that it is an emotional moment and that there will be tears when he wears the jersey for the first time.

"I am a strong guy but a bit emotional as well. I am pretty sure there will be some tears when I wear the India jersey for the first time. It has been a long and tough journey," the KKR star added.