Raipur, May 14 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar has credited extensive centre‑wicket practice sessions and a technical tweak in Rinku Singh’s trigger movement for the left‑hander’s resurgence in IPL 2026 after a lean start to the season.
Rinku has struck 207 runs in his last four outings without being dismissed, batting at a strike rate of 172. On Wednesday, he made an unbeaten 29‑ball 49 to lift KKR to 192/4 in Raipur, though it went in vain as RCB won by six wickets, thanks to Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 105.
“One of the things we tried when we were not doing so well was a lot of centre‑wicket practice to bring the confidence back. Same with Varun (Chakravarthy), same with Rinku, because they were two really important players for us and didn’t start the tournament well. So obviously, there are different processes for both of them, but for Rinku, it was getting him in the centre.”
“If you would have noticed, his initial movement changed; he’s now walking across compared to before. So we kind of figured that out, maybe that can help him, and he’s never done that, so we added that to his batting. It helped him. So a lot of work was going on when we were trying to get these guys back, because it’s not easy,” said Nayar in the post-game press conference.
Beyond technique, Nayar stressed the importance of restoring belief in Rinku. “Just having access to grounds and making sure we spent some time in the heat kind of helped. Getting his mind back into the belief systems that he can clear the boundary, he can hit those fours and sixes, and what he can do technically and tactically to actually do that. So a lot of groundwork was done.
“I think, to be honest with you, through and through from the inception of the tournament, the one thing that we decided collectively was to be very consistent. Consistent in how we approach our processes as a team.
“Making sure the environment, which I feel in the IPL is one of the hardest things to maintain with all the outside noise and pressure. Making sure we create that environment for the guys where they feel like they can be themselves. Because sometimes this tournament can take that away from you,” he said.
He acknowledged the emotional toll poor form can take on a player in the IPL. “I know from the outside you don’t understand what a player goes through, but it’s really hard for an individual to not have a good game and come back, and the amount of messages they get, even from close friends or family, it’s not easy for them.
“So I think for us it was to curate an environment where they felt safe, where they felt like they can still go out and play regardless of what the outcome was. I’ve been there as a player, so I wanted to make sure as a coach I’m very consistent, and so is the support staff, and everyone feels like they’ve not let the team down.
“Because when you enter an IPL, everyone wants to win. There’s no one who’s not going to give their best. There’s no one who doesn’t want to perform. But sometimes you need to accept that things aren’t going in your favour. We talk about luck, the rub of the green - sometimes that doesn’t go your way and you need to accept that,” he concluded.
--IANS
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