After a video of Kuldeep Yadav playfully slapping Rinku Singh went viral and sparked mixed reactions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stepped in to clear the air. On Wednesday, the franchise released a new video on its official social media pages, aiming to shut down speculation of a rift between the players.
Their witty caption read, “Media (𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘪) vs (𝘥𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘬𝘢) Reality! 𝘎𝘦𝘩𝘳𝘪 𝘥𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪 feat. our talented UP boys.”
This light-hearted response from KKR attempted to remind fans of the camaraderie shared between the two Indian cricketers.
The incident unfolded after KKR’s 14-run win over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. In the clip, Kuldeep Yadav is seen giving two light slaps to Rinku Singh near the boundary line, as both were chatting with fellow players.
While the first slap appeared playful, Rinku’s reaction after the second left fans divided—some saw it as harmless fun, while others perceived tension.
The original clip had no audio, which left much room for interpretation. The reactions quickly spread on social media, with some calling it disrespectful, while others defended it as banter between close friends.
KKR’s recent post, showing both players in good spirits, helped quell the rumors and reaffirmed their long-standing friendship dating back to their days in Uttar Pradesh domestic cricket.
On the match front, KKR registered a strong total of 204/9, led by Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 44 and a crucial 36 off 25 from Rinku Singh. In response, Sunil Narine’s 3/29 and Varun Chakravarthy’s tight spell helped restrict Delhi Capitals to 190/9, despite a solid effort from Faf du Plessis (62) and Axar Patel (43).
This win took KKR’s points tally to nine, keeping their playoff chances alive. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals remained in the top four with 12 points.
Despite the initial misunderstanding, it’s clear that Kuldeep Yadav and Rinku Singh share a bond deeper than what was portrayed in the viral footage. The team’s clarification served as a reminder that on-field moments can easily be taken out of context, especially in the age of social media.
