Kuldeep Yadav joking Rinku Singh in Delhi; KKR Star becomes restless

Uttar Pradesh (UP) wala pyaar? The bond between Rinku Singh and Kuldeep Yadav was fully displayed after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) beat the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Match 48 of the IPL 2025. While it was rude or unnecessary for some, the moment certainly grabbed the eyeballs, as it isn’t common among players to “slap” each other, even if it is jokingly.

Watch: Kuldeep Yadav slaps Rinku Singh

Right after KKR recorded a 14-run win over the hosts, DC at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the camera panned towards Kuldeep Yadav and Rinku Singh, who were chatting alongside other players too. However, in a moment of shock and massive surprise, Kuldeep used his right hand (seemingly gently) to slap Rinku Singh.

While it would’ve certainly been in zest and fun, what caught massive attention was how the KKR southpaw reacted afterwards. Rinku was evidently taken by surprise. An agitated and embarrassed look sat on his face that just continued when Kuldeep tried to take another shot at his face.

The air crackled with echoes of IPL’s ‘slapgate’ controversy of Harbhajan’s infamous strike on Sreesanth in the inaugural season. While some fans dismissed Kuldeep’s slap to Rinku as ‘bromance,’ others demanded BCCI action.

Amidst this, Rinku Singh’s crucial 36 propelled KKR to a winning 204/9, with Raghuvanshi top-scoring (44). However, Kuldeep had a rare off-day (0/27). Despite du Plessis’ 62 and Axar Patel’s quick 43, DC fell short (190/9), their fourth loss pushing them to fourth, while KKR remained seventh.