'For the first time, I sat in a charter flight' - Rinku Singh describes special journey with Shah Rukh Khan

Indian cricketer Rinku Singh recently shared a heartwarming gesture from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan after he missed out on selection in Team India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, where he was included only as a reserve. The Men in Blue lifted the marquee event under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, but Rinku could watch the celebrations only from the sidelines, as he could not make it to the main squad.

Rinku revealed that he had to travel to Mumbai for visa formalities and was asked to accompany the Bollywood superstar. However, out of shyness, the left-handed batter initially hesitated and even tried to decline the offer. But eventually, the Aligarh-born was brought into confidence by the King Khan, and he finally agreed to sit in the chartered carrier. During the journey, Rinku said that the KKR co-owner encouraged him a lot and lifted his spirits.

“So this was the time when I wasn’t selected in the main squad — I was in the standby list. The team had already left, and I had to go for visa formalities. Sir (referring to Shah Rukh Khan) also had to leave the next day. My flight had already been booked, and I was about to leave — alone. Somehow, either Sir or Pooja [Dadlani, Shah Rukh's manager] ma’am found out, and they said I should travel with Sir, I was completely nervous — like, “I’m going to travel alone with Sir? How will I handle myself? What will I say? tried so many times to refuse,” Rinku told RevSportz.

“But once Sir had said it, how could I say no? Yes, there was a conversation in the car. He was giving me a lot of encouragement. That season also wasn’t going too well for me. So he was explaining things to me, giving me support. So he was motivating me a lot. And for the first time, I sat in a charter flight — and that too, with Sir. Those two hours were really, really amazing for me. What can I even say it was just incredible. So many beautiful things happened,” he added.

The 27-year-old has now been included in India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, where the Suryakumar Yadav-led side will begin their campaign against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 10. He will hope to prove his worth in the team and cement his spot, keeping in mind the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2026, where India will enter as defending champions.