Rinku Singh was the top retention for Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, with the defending champion shelling out Rs. 13 crore for the left-handed batter.

He was signed by KKR for just Rs. 55 lakh at the last mega auction, meaning the batter’s earnings multiplied by nearly 24 times.

“When I started, I had not even thought that I would earn so much. At that time, I was a kid, and if I got even 5-10 rupees, I thought I would get it somehow.

Now I am getting 55 lakh rupees, so this is a lot, I should be happy with whatever God gives me. This is my thinking,” Rinku had said on his salary.

Rinku made headlines with his five consecutive sixes off Gujarat Titans’ Yash Dayal, helping KKR score 29 runs in the final five deliveries in an IPL 2023 match. He amassed 474 runs in 14 innings at an impressive average of 59.75 during this breakout season. His stock rose further after his IPL performances earned him a call-up to the Indian team, and Rinku made his debut against Ireland in August 2023 in Dublin.

However, his returns dwindled in the 2024 season as his batting position shifted to the lower-middle order, resulting in a total of just 168 runs in 11 innings.

Despite this, the team remained confident in him and made him its top pick.