Outscoring Suryakumar Yadav and playing fewer balls than the India captain, newcomer Rinku Singh batted at a strike rate of 344.44 against Australia in the 2nd T20I of the five-match series on Sunday. Announcing his arrival in the high-profile T20I series between India and Australia with a blistering knock, Rinku has remained keen on doing justice to his finisher’s role in international cricket.
Playing his sixth international game for India at Visakhapatnam, Rinku finished things off in style just like MS Dhoni although his last-ball six wasn’t counted in the thrilling win over Australia. His 14-ball 22 paved the way for India to complete a record chase against the newly crowned world champions. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) superstar followed it up with a blistering knock of 31 off 9 balls as Suryakumar’s India cruised to a comfortable 44-run win in another high-scoring contest at Thiruvananthapuram.
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Talking about the rapid rise of the power-hitter in the post-match presentation, India T20I skipper Suryakumar admitted that the youngster reminds him of someone, who is often hailed as the best finisher in limited-overs cricket. Yes, Suryakumar was talking about legendary cricketer Dhoni when he applauded Rinku for his crucial cameo against the Men from Down Under.
Rinku reminded Suryakumar of Dhoni
“When I saw Rinku come in to bat in the last game, the composure he showed was brilliant. It reminded me of someone. Everyone knows the answer,” said Suryakumar, who scored 19 off 10 balls in India’s convincing win on Sunday. With twelve fours and nine sixes, Rinku has scored 128 runs in 4 T20I innings. The 26-year-old has achieved a staggering strike rate of 216.94 and the explosive batter has remained unbeaten for India in his last three innings.
Rinku in a league of his own
When it comes to India stars batting from No.5 to 7 positions, Rinku has the best strike rate (216.94) in the shortest format since the 2022 World Cup. He has upstaged the likes of Axar Patel, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Deepak Hooda, Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya. “I bat in this number a lot. So, I am calm knowing this position. I know sometimes I’ll get 5-6 overs (to bat) or sometimes two overs. That’s exactly how I practice, as if I’m batting in the last five. That’s what VVS sir has also told me to train in the nets,” Rinku said.
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