After a thrilling conclusion with two super overs in the third and final T20I against Afghanistan, Indian captain Rohit Sharma commended the explosive young batsman Rinku Singh.
Rinku Singh, whose remarkable journey from a modest background to stardom serves as an inspiration, once again caught the spotlight as he hammered an unbeaten 69 runs off just 39 balls, including six towering sixes in the third T20I against Afghanistan.
Rinku, recognized for smashing five sixes in an over against Gujarat Titans in the 2023 season, is emerging as a promising prospect for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the United States from June 4 to June 30. His outstanding performance garnered praise from various quarters, including captain Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid.
In the M Chinnaswamy Stadium match on Wednesday, Rohit achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first player to score five T20I centuries, contributing an unbeaten 121 runs off 69 balls. Collaborating with Rinku, they forged an impressive 190-run partnership for the fifth wicket, propelling India to a massive total of 212/4.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also applauded Rinku Singh for his aggressive batting style, referring to him as a ‘left-handed Dhoni.’
“He is someone I would describe as a left-handed Dhoni. While I can’t compare him directly to Dhoni, as Dhoni’s stature is immense, I’m referring to the calmness he exudes. Rinku Singh has consistently piled on runs for UP, breaking into the Indian team. Although he spent many years on the KKR bench, he worked hard, displaying composure in tricky situations for the Indian team. Even during practice at KKR, when he didn’t get a chance to bat, he collected balls hit in throwdowns and returned them to the bowler,” Ashwin shared on his YouTube channel.
“People used to tell me that during his time with KKR, despite not getting a chance to bat in practice, he collected all the balls that batters hit in throwdowns and gave them back to the bowler. Since then, he has been with the franchise for so long, put in the hard work for UP, and showed that he’s always available to get to the Indian team out of a tricky situation or finish an innings. The composure doesn’t change whether the team is batting first or chasing. His composure towards the back end of the innings is a bonus,” he added.
In the three matches against Afghanistan, Rinku Singh scored 94 runs at a strike rate of 164.91.
