“Badnaam ho gaya”- Rinku Singh on his viral video with Virat Kohli begging him for a bat in IPL

Rinku Singh, an ace Uttar Pradesh and India cricketer, has recalled his viral IPL 2024 moment with Virat Kohli in which he is seen repeatedly asking him for a bat and stated that that one incident has made him notorious amongst fans and cricketing circles.

Rinku Singh grabbed headlines off the field when a video of him asking Virat Kohli for a bat during an IPL clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders went viral.

For those who don't know, the widely shared video showed Rinku telling Kohli that he had unintentionally broken the bat that the RCB legend had given him.

Kohli answered sarcastically as he described how he broke it while hitting a spinner, stating that he wasn't in the mood to give another one because it was difficult for him to keep gifting bats, as he might end up with none in a time of need.

Rinku Singh reacts to a viral Virat Kohli video in which he asks for a bat.

In response to the incident, Rinku voiced unease about the way the video influenced public opinion. The KKR batter acknowledged that the video embarrassed him and that it had a negative impact on his reputation.

"(Main thoda zyada badnaam ho gaya tha) I had become a little too infamous because of the bat. I used to meet him (Kohli) normally and then asked for a bat. The cameraman would follow me. It wasn't being perceived well. It wasn't good for me or for Bhaiya (Kohli) either, as videos of the bat were going viral," said Rinku to News24’s Vaibhav Bhola.

He also revealed that he had requested and gotten bats from CSK and India legend MS Dhoni and India ODI captain Rohit Sharma during that season of IPL in 2024, but his interaction with Virat Kohli that went viral was captured on camera.

"This time, I wasn't seen with Virat Bhai (in IPL 2024). I took Mahi Bhai's (MS Dhoni's) bat this time, and also Rohit (Rohit Sharma) Bhai's bat. It's a really big deal for me because getting bats from such big players is a huge thing," Rinku added.

Rinku Singh will be seen in action for India, as he has been named in the Asia Cup 2025 squad. He recently smacked a brutal hundred for his Meerut team in the ongoing UP T20 league.

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