"Neither the wicket nor the situation was easy" - Gautam Gambhir lauds Rinku Singh's half-century in 2nd IND vs SA T20I

Gautam Gambhir has lauded Rinku Singh for scoring his maiden international half-century in trying conditions and circumstances in the second T20I between India and South Africa.

Rinku smashed an unbeaten 68 off 39 deliveries as the Men in Blue posted a total of 180/7 in 19.3 overs in a rain-truncated affair in Gqeberha on Tuesday, December 12. However, his knock went in vain as the Proteas chased down the revised 15-over target of 152 with five wickets and seven deliveries to spare.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Gambhir was asked about his thoughts on Rinku's knock, to which he responded:

"He scored his first half-century for India and that too in South Africa, which is considered the most difficult conditions for any batter. When he came to bat, neither the wicket nor the situation was easy."

The former India opener praised the southpaw for making the most of his early arrival at the crease. He elaborated:

"India lost both their openers very early but the way Rinku Singh batted - he had an opportunity to play a long knock and he made the most of the time he got by playing an exceptional knock, the way he played spin and fast bowling."

Rinku joined Suryakumar Yadav in the middle when India were reduced to 55/3 after 5.5 overs. The duo strung together a 70-run partnership in just eight overs. The former then added 38 runs with Ravindra Jadeja for the sixth wicket after Jitesh Sharma was dismissed cheaply.

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"Rinku Singh is a natural batter at No. 5 to No. 7" - Gautam Gambhir

Rinku Singh bats in the lower-middle-order even for the Kolkata Knight Riders. [P/C: AP]

Gautam Gambhir reckons Rinku Singh's adeptness as a lower-middle-order batter will hold India in good stead. He said:

"It's a good thing because all Indian batters like to bat up the order. Rinku Singh is a natural batter at No. 5 to No. 7. So I believe he will gain a lot of confidence from this knock and the good part is that he knows how to play according to the situation."

The cricketer-turned-commentator appreciated the youngster for molding his game as per the demands of the situation. He explained:

"At times, he gets to bat in the 16th or 17th over and he bats accordingly. Here, when the situation was not like that and you wanted to consolidate, he built a partnership with his captain. Once Suryakumar Yadav got out, Rinku Singh played the aggressor's role."

Gambhir concluded by observing that experience is not gained with age and that it's important to learn quickly in international cricket. He added that Rinku has shown improvement in every knock he has played at the top level.