3 reasons why Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma are India's best finishers bet for 2024 T20 World Cup

The partnership of 56 runs off just 32 balls between Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma proved to be the difference between the two sides as India beat Australia by 20 runs in the fourth T20I in Raipur and sealed the series win.

With the series win guaranteed, arguably a bigger win for the Indian team in the context of the T20 World Cup preparation could be that incredible partnership between Rinku and Jitesh. It came at a time when the Men in Blue were under pressure and it also in a way showed what the two batters were capable of.

On that note, here are three reasons why Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma should be considered as mainstays in India's T20 World Cup playing XI next year:

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#3 Proven domestic and IPL performances

Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma have both proven their mettle at the domestic as well as IPL level and naturally have made the most of the chances that they have got in the Indian T20I team. In the 105 T20s that Rinku has played, he has scored 2198 runs at a staggering strike rate of 147.22.

Jitesh has played 101 T20 games overall, scoring 2253 runs at a strike rate of almost 150. These two players have played the finishing role almost to perfection for their respective IPL sides as well. As someone who has been there and done that as far as that crucial lower middle-order role is concerned, India could benefit heavily if they continue to show faith in these two batters.

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#2 Fearless attitude

Rinku Singh has played just nine T20Is for India, but has already looked like he belongs to this level, with 174 runs at a mind-boggling strike rate of 197.72. He has been pretty vocal about remaining calm in crunch situations and trusting his power-hitting to do the job for the team.

Jitesh Sharma also was fearless in his approach, not thinking about whether he would get a chance again if he fails. His quickfire 35 on Saturday saw him smash three huge sixes. From the past 10 years, India's difficulty in big matches in ICC events has been arguably their mindset and that can change if Rinku and Jitesh continue to play fearlessly and give the team that X-factor.

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#1 Rinku & Jitesh complement each other really well

Arguably the biggest positive for India from the fourth T20I was the way both Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma read the situation and applied themselves. Rinku realized he had to rotate the strike and form a partnership when he walked out to bat and eventually unleashed himself once a platform was set.

Jitesh, on the other hand, knew that he had to get a move on almost straightaway and backed his skills to smash those huge sixes despite being fresh to the crease. If India have Rinku Singh batting in the T20 World Cup knowing that Jitesh Sharma is to follow, it could give the southpaw that extra cushion to play the situation as well as back his natural game.

Once Hardik Pandya is back, India might need to look at a wicketkeeper who can bat down the order and Jitesh fits the bill perfectly. This is their opportunity to trust Rinku and Jitesh in the lower middle order and back them to deliver on the big stage in the West Indies and USA next year.