Rinku Singh has batted in just 4 T20Is so far for Team India but is already drawing comparisons with the legendary MS Dhoni who is arguably the greatest finisher in the history of the game.
The southpaw had a breakthrough season in this year’s IPL where he impressed one and all with his stunning finishing exploits. Throughout the tournament, he displayed his finishing abilities and finished the competition as one of the best batters.
In 14 games, the Kolkata Knight Riders star scored 474 runs at a stunning strike rate of almost 150. He also played one of the best knocks in the history of the IPL this year when he smashed five sixes on the last five balls to snatch a miraculous victory for his side against Gujarat Titans.
He has further enhanced his reputation by coming up with two fine cameos in the ongoing series against Australia. In the first T20I, he scored an unbeaten 22 off 14 balls to help India clinch a thrilling win. With 1 needed off the final ball, he hit a six although it did not count as the bowler had bowled a n0-ball. In the second game, Rinku Singh smashed an unbeaten 31 off just 9 balls with the help of 4 fours and 2 sixes.
Ashish Nehra on Rinku Singh the finisher:
Former India pacer Ashish Nehra recently spoke about Rinku Singh and his finishing abilities. Hailing the youngster as a great asset for Indian cricket, Nehra said that he is not a big fan of the word ‘finisher’. He also opined that the Uttar Pradesh star can even bat up the order for India in the limited-overs format.
“This is not the first time he has done it. We all have been discussing his role, his power. Not just about his batting, even with the way he throws himself on the field, it shows he is a great team man. He will be a great asset to Indian cricket. Yes, we are talking only about T20 cricket, but who knows tomorrow he can also be playing ODI cricket,” Nehra told JioCinema.
“I am not a big fan of the word ‘finisher’. Your opener can be a finisher, if he scores a hundred, he can finish the game and come back. At times, it can be harsh. Let me give you an example, if the same Rinku Singh doesn’t finish the game once or twice. Coming back to Rinku Singh, he is someone who can even play up the order, I can see him playing in 50-over cricket going forward. He can bat at No. 4, No. 5 or No. 6.
“On any odd day, the Indian team can be 40 for 4 in 5-6 overs. And I hope Rinku Singh is ready to play any role, I hope he doesn’t want to be tagged himself as a finisher. He should be looking to excel in all departments,” he added.
Meanwhile, Team India suffered a loss in the third T20I against Australia on Tuesday (November 28). Asked to bat first, India rode on Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s sensational century to score 222 for 3. However, an unbeaten century from Glenn Maxwell saw Australia chase down the total on the final ball and keep the series alive.
