Rinku Singh in T20Is: A dazzling start in a challenging part

Fifteen matches (11 innings to be more precise) is too little a sample size to judge any player, but 26-year-old Rinku Singh has been so amazing in the few T20I games that he has played for India, that one already gets the impression that he belongs to the big league.

Having made his debut against Ireland in Dublin in August 2023, the left-handed batter has 356 runs to his name at an average of 89 and an excellent strike rate of 176.23, with two half-centuries. Of the 11 times that he has batted, the finisher has been unbeaten seven times. What has stood out about Rinku in a short international career is how unflustered he has been under pressure.

The southpaw scored 38 off 21 against Ireland in Dublin in his first T20I knock and walked away with the Player of the Match award. It can, of course, be argued that knock came against Ireland, but for someone batting in international cricket for the first time, it was a significant innings nonetheless, which featured two fours and three sixes.

Rinku then contributed 37* off 15 against Nepal in Hangzhou in the Asian Games 2023 quarter-final, clobbering two fours and four sixes. And, before critics could point out that the performances came against low-ranked sides, the 26-year-old chipped in with 22* off 14 against Australia in Visakhapatnam in a big chase of 209.

While 360-degree batter Suryakumar Yadav starred with 80 off 42, it was Rinku who lifted the Men in Blue over the line, maintaining his composure even as India kept losing wickets at the other end. Under immense pressure, he found boundaries with precision, a situation in which even experienced players sometimes lose their cool.

As if to prove his versatility, he clobbered 31* off only nine balls when Team India batted first in the next match in Thiruvananthapuram. In a throwback to his assault on Yash Dayal in IPL 2023, Rinku clubbed Sean Abbott for two fours and three sixes in the penultimate over. The left-hander carried his great form into the next match as well, smashing 46 off 29 balls as the Men in Blue again batted first.

Rinku has been dismissed in single figures only once in his T20I career so far. He fell for six off eight in the fifth T20I against Australia in Bengaluru.

---

Rinku makes a mark in his first T20I in South Africa

The Uttar Pradesh batter’s first big challenge away from home came during the T20I series in South Africa. The first T20I was washed out, but in the next game, he played an excellent knock of 68* in 39 balls in Gqeberha, slamming nine fours and two maximums.

The Proteas won the toss and invited the visitors to bat in the match. India got off to a disastrous start, losing both their openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, for ducks. Rinku and Suryakumar (56 off 36) added 70 runs for the fourth wicket to lift Team India.

Rinku demonstrated his big-hitting range again, finding the boundaries at will against both pace and spin. He smacked Andile Phehlukwayo for three fours in an over.

After Suryakumar’s dismissal, he took charge and tonked Lizaad Williams for three boundaries in an over. Then, in the penultimate over, he launched Aiden Markram for consecutive sixes. With the knock, Rinku proved that he is adept at playing the support role, but can lead the charge when the situation demands.

After being dismissed for 14 in the third T20I against the Proteas in Johannesburg, Rinku was unbeaten in all three T20Is of the home series against Afghanistan. After contributing 16* off 9 and 9 off 9* in the first two matches, he came up with a brilliant 69* off 39 in the third T20I in Bengaluru.

India were under huge pressure, having lost four wickets for 22 runs. However, Rinku proved to be an able ally to skipper Rohit Sharma (121* off 69) as the duo added an unbroken 190 runs for the fifth wicket.

Rohit was of course the star batting performer of the game for Team India, but the hosts would not have won the game without Rinku’s wonderful contribution, which included three consecutive sixes off the last three balls of the innings - another impressive demonstration of the finisher’s clean-hitting ability at the death.

As mentioned earlier, these are still very early days in Rinku’s T20I career. He will come face to face with much bigger challenges, which will test his mettle for sure. But, looking at how the batter has dealt with the tasks assigned to him so far, it will be surprising if he doesn’t come up trumps in future examinations as well on a much grander stage.