Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 22 (ANI): Former West Indies batter Chris Gayle believes that Kolkata Knight Riders' sensational player Rinku Singh, who had a spectacular IPL 2023 season, will get a huge hike in his salary next year.

Lucknow took the crease to bat first and scored 176 runs, with Nicolas Pooran's 58 runs (30b, 4x4, 5x6) being the highlight of the innings. Kolkata's innings showed the hunger to win their final game at home but they fell short by one run, scoring 175 runs with Rinku Singh almost pulling off a final over comeback win. He scored 67 runs in 33 deliveries (6x4, 4x6).

Lucknow will now face Mumbai Indians in their Eliminator as MI defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets and Royal Challengers Bangalore lost to Gujarat Titans by six wickets.

Even though KKR lost the game and have had a disappointing season, the emergence of Rinku Singh has been great to watch for the fans of the team. Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle said on JioCinema that Singh will end up getting a massive spike in his IPL salary in 2024, "Rinku Singh has done this on a few occasions for KKR before. I am sure next year, he's going to get his paycheque a little higher because he's been the best performer with the bat for KKR.'"It looked like the Super Giants will fail to put up a competent total with the bat until Nicolas Pooran came to the crease and gave Lucknow's batting the boost it desperately needed. Former India cricketer Pragyan Ojha spoke about Pooran's innings after the game on JioCinema, "It was very important. In the position he came to bat in, the situation, and the number he came out at, it isn't easy. When the team needed him, he put together a half century for the team and gave them a respectable score, a total they can fight with. We know the kind of batting Nicolas Pooran can do and that's what he did, when the team needed him the most."Former India pacer Zaheer Khan has also been taken aback by the emergence of Rinku Singh this season, surpassing KKR legend Andre Russell in the pecking order.

"If you had to look at a bright spot for KKR this season, it was Rinku Singh. He was standing between LSG and the playoffs and played with a lot of confidence. He's carried himself and the team like that all season long. When you have an accomplished finisher like Russell, and yet he is not being discussed during this season when you speak of KKR. If Rinku Singh has been able to move a name like that to the back, just goes to show how good his season has been for him," said Zaheer on JioCinema. (ANI)