It’s indeed surprising to see Rinku Singh not making it to the main squad for the T20 World Cup, especially considering the anticipation surrounding his big-hitting abilities. The decision reflects the selectors’ focus on current form and performance, which might have led to Rinku Singh‘s exclusion due to his underwhelming performance in the ongoing IPL.
With players like Shubman Gill, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan also named as reserves, it seems the selectors have opted for a balance between experience and potential. Rinku Singh still has a chance to make an impact if called upon from the reserves, but for now, the main squad has been finalized based on the criteria set by the selectors and the team management.
Rinku Singh’s recent past performance of India shouldn’t have been ignored- Aaron Finch
It’s understandable why Irfan Pathan and Aaron Finch would express surprise and concern over the exclusion of Rinku Singh from the T20 World Cup squad. He opined on X that “
Rinku’s recent past performance for Team India shouldn’t have been ignored.” Former Australian white-ball skipper Aaron Finch mentioned that he was stunned by the decision made by BCCI, to select four spinners and not Rinku Singh.
Finch mentioned on Star Sports, “I was surprised by the four spinners. I had Rinku in there and only two spinners,”
I think Rinku Singh has done enough in International cricket- Ian Bishop
The right-arm fast bowler from West Indies, Ian Bishop also expressed his disappointment at Rinku’s exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad. He said,
“So if you are talking about surprises, I think Rinku Singh has done enough in international cricket. His average score is over 60-70 in T20, which deems him to be qualified for the World Cup squad,”
“So, that’s the only thing that had my ears sticking up. So I’m only saying that the extra spinner, someone like Axar Patel, has been preferred to Rinku,” Bishop told Star Sports.
Rinku Singh’s form in IPL hasn’t been great- Sunil Gavaskar
But Sunil Gavaskar strongly felt that the current form of Rinku Singh in this IPL 2024 season was the sole reason for not getting included in the T20 squad.
“Maybe his form in this particular edition of the IPL hasn’t been great. He hasn’t had that many opportunities, maybe that’s the reason why they’ve ( selectors) not picked him,” Gavaskar mentioned on Sports Today.
Gavaskar opined to have liked to see someone like T Natarajan, a left-handed pace bowler in the World Cup squad.
“I was thinking more like T Natarajan, the left-handed pace bowler. He has been bowling exceedingly well, so thought he could have been in the team,” he stated.
“I don’t know the reason but this India team looks a very good team, no questions about it. Its got plenty of experience, they’ve got some real big hitters, they’ve got variety in bowling as well, ” Gavaskar opined.
India will display their four spinners- Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal and three fast-paced bowlers. But according to Gavaskar, all-rounder Hardik Pandya will do the job of fast bowler, who was named Rohit Sharma’s deputy on Tuesday.
Hardik Pandya is an all-rounder, so maybe that is the sole reason for the selection committee to choose Hardik as the fourth pace bowler, having a total of four pacers and four spinners. The condition of the pitches in the West Indies typically favors spinners more than pace.
“As we have seen in the IPL, the slower the deliveries, the harder it is for the batters to hit and that’s perhaps the reason why they have gone with extra spinner,” said Gavaskar.
The reason why Shubman Gill was considered a reserve player was solely due to his “not-up-to-the-mark” performance which led to him being starting the match from the bench.
“So, sometimes that happens, sometimes you have to leave good player out, that’s what it seems to have happened with Gill. Again, his form in the last few games has been patchy. He started the IPL very well but the last few matches have been patchy which has cost GT victories. Gill scores, GT have been winning. He has not been scoring, they have not been winning,” said Gavaskar.
Gavaskar’s observation about a change in attitude and approach within the Indian cricket team suggests a recognition of the need for a shift in mindset to succeed in the T20 World Cup. If the Indian side can bring about this change, it could indeed enhance their chances of lifting the trophy under Rohit Sharma’s leadership.
It sounds like Gavaskar is drawing parallels between the changes in attitude and approach that were witnessed in the Indian team during the 50-over World Cup and how those changes could positively impact their performance in the upcoming T20 World Cup.