Has Rinku Singh done enough to guarantee a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad even before IPL 2024 starts? It seems like it. The left-hander was summoned to Dharamsala by the Indian team management ahead of the fifth Test against England to take part in a photoshoot for the T20 World Cup.
The world event is slated to take place in June this year in the USA and the West Indies and Rinku is one of the frontrunners to grab the finisher’s role in the Indian side. With India not playing any more T20Is before the World Cup, experts believe that the performance in IPL 2024 would be the biggest determining factor in finalising India’s squad for the T20 World Cup. Yes, they are absolutely correct. But not for everyone.
Apart from captain Rohit Sharma, star players Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Hardik Pandya, another cricketer who has more or less confirmed his berth in the squad is Rinku Singh. The left-hander’s presence in the special photoshoot for the T20 World Cup was the biggest giveaway.
Rinku a stellar finisher in T20s
And it shouldn’t come across as a surprise if the selectors and the team management feel Rinku should be a part of India’s T20 World Cup squad irrespective of his performance in the IPL. In the 11 innings that Rinku has batted in India colours, he has scored 356 runs at a strike rate of 176.23. And all of those knocks have come while batting No.5 or lower. That’s the kind of impact he has had as a finisher.
In Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, India have multiple options to pick Rohit Sharma’s opening partner but it is the finisher’s role that has been troubling them in the shortest format for many years now. But ever since Rinku’s arrival, it has been smooth. Rinku averages three boundaries per innings in T20Is. His biggest strength is that he can perform under pressure. He has shown that time and again for the Kolkata Knight Riders and for India. This is a skill that would come in handy in a tournament like the World Cup.
Rinku was also awarded a BCCI central contract for the first time for the 2023-24 season.
Rinku also met England head coach Brendon McCullum and shared the photo on social media. Rinku and McCullum go back a long way. Before taking over as England’s red-ball coach giving birth to the Bazball style of cricket, McCullum was the head coach of KKR, the franchise for which Rinku has been playing since 2018.
After the photoshoot, Rinku returned to Mumbai to KKR’s pre-season camp under the watchful eyes of assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. The man from Uttar Pradesh would be one of KKR’s biggest weapons this season.
Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
