Kolkata, May 11: Kolkata Knight Riders batter Rinku Singh has come in for praise from former India stars Mohammed Kaif and Harbhajan Singh with the off-spinner claiming an India call-up is not far away from the explosive middle-order batter. In 11 matches so far, Rinku Singh has scored 337 runs at an average of 56.17 and a strike rate of 151.12 with an unbeaten 58 as his highest score so far. He has struck two half-centuries in IPL 2023 so far.

With Kolkata Knight Riders set to take on Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. KRR have 10 points from the 11 matches so far, winning five matches. They have two more games in hand against Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants as they fight for a place in the Playoffs. Shivam Dube Completes 1000 Runs in IPL Career, Achieves Feat During CSK vs DC Clash.

Rinku has played a vital role in IPL 2023 and KKR will be hoping that he will continue to fire in the remaining matches too. KKR need to win the match against the Sanju Samson-led Royals, who have lost four of their last five games. A loss against KKR will dent Rajasthan Royals' playoffs prospects.

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has spent some time in the KKR dressing room, believes Rinku's growth story will help him earn the elusive India cap soon.

Speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Live, Harbhajan said, "That India cap is not far away from Rinku's head. He's such an inspirational player. He's run all the hard yards and worked very hard to get to where he is today. Full credit to him for having that belief in himself. His journey is a life lesson and all young kids should learn from him."

Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif also praised KKR star batter Rinku Singh for taking his game to the next level with his maturity in IPL 2023. Speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Live, Md Kaif said, "Rinku Singh has that maturity. His footwork is very good and he looks to rotate strikes as well. Rinku knows how to convert his form into good knocks and also knows when to shift gears. He is capable of hitting big shots as well."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 11, 2023 01:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).