“His recent form for India isn’t good” - RP Singh’s blunt statement on Team India star ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Former India cricketer RP Singh has warned India about middle-order woes ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. The cricketer-turned-analyst pointed out that Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube have failed to deliver with the bat in their last five T20Is. He added that the strike rates of these two batters have been dismal compared to that of star all-rounder Hardik Pandya (141.67 in T20Is).

Speaking on his YouTube channel, RP Singh said:

“3:52 – (Weakness) The strike rate that Hardik Pandya plays, the players around him, it’s not like they haven’t performed. Rinku Singh has performed, but his recent form for India isn’t good (67 runs in five innings). Even in the IPL, I think KKR didn’t use him properly. He played in the UPT20 League and performed there (372 runs in 11 innings), batting at No. 4 and 5. But his India performance hasn’t been effective.”

“4:21- After that, Shivam Dube, left-handed batter, also has the firepower, but his recent form has been worrying. There is no batter in the middle order who can bat at the same strike rate as Hardik Pandya,” he added.

Rinku Singh has been under fire with the bat in his last five T20Is. The southpaw has managed 67 runs in five innings at a poor strike rate of 101.51. However, the 27-year-old amassed 206 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 153.73 for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2025. The southpaw was last seen in action during the 2025 UPT20 League, where he scored 372 runs in nine innings for the Meerut Mavericks at a stunning strike rate of 178.85.

On the other hand, Shivam Dube has scored 122 runs in his four T20Is following the 2024 T20 World Cup. The 32-year-old amassed 357 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 132.22 for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025.

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“The spot is very tricky” – RP Singh on Team India finisher ahead of Asia Cup 2025

RP Singh reiterated that Rinku Singh hasn’t delivered with the bat in his last few T20Is. Calling his place in the side tricky, the 39-year-old urged him to make the most of his opportunities. He said in the same video:

“5:35 – Rinku Singh also has a great opportunity because his performance in the IPL wasn’t promising, and I’ve explained that KKR didn’t use him well in my view. And when he was part of the team last time around, there wasn’t an impactful performance. We know Rinku for his ability to finish matches. Take time and finish matches.”

“The spot is very tricky where Rinku Singh bats. If you score, you’re seen. Scoring big at that spot is very low. If you get out early, it’s also noticed if the Indian team fails to win. It’s a tricky position, but Rinku has played there for some time and done well, so I believe that he will make the most of the opportunities and cement his place in the Indian team,” RP Singh added.

The Men in Blue will kick-start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the UAE in Dubai on Wednesday, September 10.