A comical incident took place during the fourth T20I between India and England, where a fan jokingly asked Rinku Singh to return Virat Kohli’s bat due to the southpaw’s recent struggles with the bat. The banter unfolded at the MCA Cricket Stadium in Pune on January 31.
The backstory behind this banter dates back to a month before the 2024 Indian Premier League, where Kohli had gifted Rinku a bat. However, during a conversation captured on video, Rinku mentioned to Kohli that the bat had broken from the toe-end. Despite Kohli initially scolding him, he eventually gave him another bat.
During the match, a fan called out to Rinku Singh from the stands while he was fielding on the boundary ropes, jokingly asking him to return Kohli’s bat as the Indian skipper seemed to have lost his form. The fan humorously remarked, “Kohli ki bat de de mere bhai. Form chala gaya hai mere bhai (Please return Kohli’s bat to him, brother. He has lost all his form).”
Rinku Singh had a lackluster series against England, managing to score only 39 runs across two innings, with a highest score of 30.
In a separate event, Kohli participated in Delhi’s final Ranji Trophy game against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where a crowd of over 13,000 spectators gathered to watch him bat. However, Kohli’s struggle with the bat persisted as he was dismissed for just six runs by Railways’ seamer Himanshu Sangwan. Despite Kohli’s low score, Delhi secured a victory but fell short of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Ranji Trophy.
Looking ahead, Kohli is set to feature in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, commencing on February 6 in Nagpur. He is also expected to play a pivotal role in India’s campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled for later this month.
Overall, the banter between Rinku Singh and the fan, coupled with Kohli’s ongoing form slump, added a humorous touch to the cricketing action on the field. It will be interesting to see how Kohli bounces back from his recent struggles and leads the Indian team in the upcoming tournaments.
