India batter Rinku Singh completed one year in international cricket on August 18, Sunday. The left-hander Rinku Singh had made his T20I debut for India against Ireland in the overseas tour last year and since then has had an amazing time with the national team. While he did not play any matches in the T20 World Cup 2024, Rinku Singh has always turned up with his bat in the shortest format of the game.
Rinku Singh The 26-year-old batter took to Instagram and shared a couple of delightful pictures in which he could be seen smiling beamingly with the cap in his hand, as well as a picture of Bumrah handing it over with the camp being all smiles for the Aligarh-born. Rinku Singh had to endure a challenging time up until getting selected for the 15-member squad for the Ireland tour, which the Indians managed to win by a 2-0 margin with the third game getting abandoned due to incessant rain.
Rinku Singh cricket career – A glimpse
Rinku Singh’s ‘s journey began with his domestic cricket career, where he represented Uttar Pradesh at various levels, including under-16, under-19, and under-23. He made his List A debut for Uttar Pradesh in March 2014 and his first-class debut in the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy. His impressive performances in domestic cricket earned him a spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he was bought by Kings XI Punjab in 2017 and later by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2018.
In the IPL, Rinku Singh initially struggled to find his footing, spending most of his time on the sidelines. However, his fortunes changed in the 2022 season, where he scored 174 runs in seven matches at an average of 34.80 and a strike rate of 148.72. This performance caught the attention of KKR’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, who praised Rinku’s incredible story and expressed his delight for the young player’s success.
The 2023 season proved to be a game-changer for Rinku Singh . He consistently performed well, finishing as the leading run-scorer for KKR with 474 runs in 14 matches at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52. His impressive form earned him recognition, and he was eventually called up to the Indian national team.
Rinku made his international debut in a Twenty20 International (T20I) against Ireland on August 18, 2023. In his second match, he scored a quick 38 runs before being dismissed by the last ball of the innings. He continued to impress, scoring 22 runs off 14 deliveries against Australia in the first T20I at Vishakhapatnam on November 23, 2023.
In November 2023, Rinku was named in India’s squad for their tour of South Africa. On December 12, 2023, he scored his first half-century in T20I cricket with a score of 68*. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut against South Africa on December 19, 2023, scoring 17 runs and taking the wicket of Rassie van der Dussen. In the second ODI, he played a match-winning knock against South Africa.
Rinku’s most notable international performance came on January 17, 2024, when he and Rohit Sharma stitched a 190* run partnership, India’s highest run partnership in T20I cricket and the highest run partnership for the fifth wicket in the world. In May 2024, Rinku Singh was named as a reserve player in India’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tournament. He also played in the Indian tour of Sri Lanka in July 2024, where he bowled his first ever over, taking two wickets and conceding only three runs in the final match.
Rinku Singh recalls what Rohit Sharma told him after 2024 T20 World Cup snub
Team India’s swashbuckling batter Rinku Singh was one of the notable absentees from the Men in Blue’s 2024 T20 World Cup. He was named as a reserve player. However, his exclusion from the main roster became a big talking point, given the southpaw’s impressive record in the format.
Rinku Singh recently shared details of the conversations he had with skipper Rohit Sharma after the announcement of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup. He mentioned that Sharma told him to continue working hard.
The left-handed batter disclosed that the Indian captain made him understand that he was still very young. Hence, he had a chance to feature in many World Cups in the future. During an interview with News24, Rinku Singh said:
“Haan woh (Rohit Sharma) aaye the samjane ki koi baat nahi, teri umar hi kya hai. World Cup aage bohot hai. Mehnat karte reh. Har do saal mein World Cup aata hai, uspe dhyaan de. Koi dikaat nahi hai, pareshan mat ho [He came to me and made me understand that it was okay, you are quite young. There will be many many World Cups in the future. Keep on working hard. There is a World Cup every two years, focus on that. Don’t be disappointed].”
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team beat South Africa in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup to lift the coveted trophy. With the triumph, India ended an 11-year ICC trophy drought.
Rinku Singh likes Rohit Sharma’s captaincy
In the aforementioned interview, Rinku Singh was asked to name his favorite captain. He said that he likes Rohit Sharma’s leadership and also mentioned that he is a fan of Virat Kohli’s aggression.
Rinku said:
“I like Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. I like Virat Kohli as well because aggression is very important while leading a team. So, his captaincy was also very good. “
You can watch the full interview below:
Rinku Singh is captaining Meerut Mavericks in the ongoing season of the Uttar Pradesh Premier League. The side opened their campaign with a seven-wicket win over Kashi Rudra’s in Lucknow on Sunday, August 25.