Uttar Pradesh and Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Rinku Singh made his India debut in T20I on Friday in the first of the 3-T20I matches against Ireland in Dublin.
Fans were elated to see their doted Rinku Singh get his maiden India cap after a sizzling IPL 2023 season for KKR. The left-handed batsman, however, didn’t get a chance to bat on his debut as India’s innings was halted after 6.5 overs by rain.
India won the match by only 2 runs thanks to the DLS method. India were 47/2 in 6.5 overs in the chase of 140. The visitors took the lead in the series after rain prevented any further batting from India.
Rinku Singh had a breakthrough IPL season this year for KKR. The 25-year-old was the best batsman of his team and arguably the best Indian finisher in the season, amassing 474 runs at an average of 59 and a strike rate of 149.
Rinku Singh will perform well at number 5 and 6: Kiran More
Former BCCI Chairman of Selectors Kiran More lavished rich praises on the 25-year-old Rinku Singh. More, who has observed Rinku from his early days for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket, believes that the southpaw has the talent and abilities to become a terrific finisher for India in the coming years, a job the likes of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh performed very well for a long time.
“I have been waiting for his opportunity in the Indian team. And that batting position, of No.5 and 6, he will perform well in that spot and can end up being a brilliant finisher. We all have seen MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. After that we haven’t got a player like them. We tried making such players, but it didn’t work so far. Tilak Varma is also there, he too can perform that role. Rinku is also a brilliant fielder. And I have seen him in domestic cricket as well, he has improved a lot I feel,” the former wicket-keeper Kiran More said on Jio Cinema.
Fans will be hoping to see Rinku Singh bat in the remainder of the two T20Is against Ireland. Rinku is also selected for the Asian Games in China in September-October. These matches are audition for the players as Team India prepare for the T20 World Cup 2024 in West Indies.
Former India and Mumbai Indians batsman Abhishek Nayar, who has been working with Rinku at KKR in the form of a mentor, asserted that India should now give Rinku Singh a consistent run of matches for him to settle in the side as a finisher.
“With Hardik Pandya transforming into a role of a batter and playing higher up the order, you need someone down the order who can finish off the job for you. You did have someone like Axar Patel for it, but Rinku is tailor-made. He has been a prolific run-getter across formats in domestic cricket. It is just about grooming him and constantly giving those opportunities,” Nayar said.
