'Jo tu kar raha hai, wahi karta reh' - Rinku Sigh recalls MS Dhoni's words of wisdom after India call-up for Asian Games

India's young batting sensation Rinku Singh recalled priceless advice he received from legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). The youngster has had an outstanding campaign with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2023 season.

Given his batting exploits in the lucrative league, he was left out of India's T20I squad against the West Indies, which has become a topic of discussion. His wait is over, though, as he will be wearing the Indian jersey for the first time at the forthcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, which will be held in September and October. 

Rinku, while speaking to RevSportz, opened up about the advice he got from Dhoni on his game, describing the conversation as 'productive'. The 25-year-old also said that he inquired about how he could enhance his game with the former India captain, who told Rinku that he is batting well right now and that he should keep up with his game.

"The chatter with Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) was really productive. He has also batted in similar numbers as I do – at 5 or 6 – and he has done it for the majority of his career and knows the position in and out.

"I simply asked him how to better my game, and his advice was very simple: 'Bohot sahi batting kar raha hai, jo tu kar raha hai, wahi karta reh' (You are batting really well. Continue whatever you have done so far)," said Rinku.

Everyone dreams to play for India, wear that jersey: Rinku

The Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer further opened up on how every player wants to play for India and how he has kept himself motivated all these years.

"Everyone dreams to play for India, wear that jersey. I don’t think a lot about the future because the more you think, the more burden you put yourself under. I take life as one day at a time. But yes, whoever takes up professional sports wants to represent their country one day or the other," the youngster added.

The 25-year-old also spoke about his family's reaction to his maiden call-up for the national side. He added that his parents, who have supported him through his highs and lows, will be the happiest to see him wear the Indian jersey.

“I know for a fact that my family, my parents will be happier than me to see me wear the Indian jersey. They have been waiting for this for years now. They have seen my struggle, they have helped me, been with me through all my ups and downs. The day I don the jersey will be a day dedicated to them," he concluded.