India’s T20 pot is suddenly brimming with left-handers. But should Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli make the final cut, there will possibly be room for only one, maybe two of them to be regulars in the World Cup playing eleven. There’s Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, there’s also fresh off his all-round star-act in Mohali - Shivam Dube. Who’s the most likely to make it?
India's Rinku Singh watches the ball after playing a shot during the first Twenty20 international cricket match between India and Afghanistan at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali (AFP)
‘Rinku Singh’, said Suresh Raina in commentary. How? “Jagah to banani padegi (You will have to create a space),” he said.
That was Rinku’s state senior saying it. But the 26-year-old has been conveying the same message to national selectors with his consistent showings over the past twelve months that has seen him rack up an average of 69.50 in 13 T20Is at a strike-rate of 180.51.
Rinku’s finishing act of 9-ball 16 at Mohali against Afghanistan on Thursday was just about kick-starting the new year on the right note.
His alertness to glance Mujeeb ur Rahman away for a boundary off the first ball he faced, silken touch by opening the bat’s blade against Azmatullah Omarzai for another four; above all his ice-cool temperament to close matches was there for all to see.
How good was Rinku in 2023! As if determined to payback the trust shown by Kolkata Knight Riders – they picked him from obscurity in 2018 for ₹80 lakhs and stood by him – he got his act together by giving it all he had.
For the first three IPL seasons, Rinku had gone largely unnoticed. In 2022, he played half the season, where he fleetingly showcased his talent. It was only last year, early in the season that he delivered his headline act – five sixes of successive balls against Gujarat Titans pacer Yash Dayal to win the match. He has never looked back since.
Carrying KKR’s season on his shoulders with the bat, Rinku racked up 474 runs at an average of 59.25 and SR of 149.53. Each of his fifties came during a run-chase; he almost pulled off another impossible last-over win against Lucknow Super Giants (they lost by 1 run).
Rinku has carried the same composure to international cricket and kept ticking every selection box there is. The left-hander first performed when the seniors were away in Ireland and the Asian games.
Later against tougher opponents Australia and South Africa, he kept charting his own path. He kept his cool at Visakhapatnam against the Aussies despite a last over wobble - another match closed with a last-ball six. He kept providing end-overs impetus to the innings right through that series and did it again on a true South African pitch at Gqeberha.
ART OF FINISHING
The easiest way to India’s current T20 side, loaded with top-order and middle-order options is to be a strong finisher. While that’s the Aligarh left-hander’s strong-suit, so stiff is the competition for places that it doesn’t guarantee anything. Once Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya return, they will become automatic picks for No 4 and 5. By the looks of it, No 6 spot will be taken by a wicket-keeper batter and No 7 by Ravindra Jadeja or another spin-bowling all-rounder.
“Whatever opportunity he gets here or in the IPL, it will be good for his development. Whenever a player does well, he always remains in the thoughts of the selector,” head coach Rahul Dravid said before the series.
Rinku would want to hold on to the coach’s sentiment. One has to go back to what Raina said about Rinku’s compelling case. Finding boundaries on demand with the match on the line in front of packed houses is a rare skill even in T20’s fast lane. Sports psychologists spend most of their time assisting athletes on how to tackle pressure. Rinku does not wilt under pressure.
He does not pre-determine. “Agar sochta hu, to gadbad hone lagti hai saari cheezain. Isliye main jyaada sochta nahi hu. Jaise ball aata hai, vaise khelta hu (When I think too much, that’s when it starts going wrong. I just react to the ball),” Rinku told the broadcasters.
It’s an advice he took from MS Dhoni, one of the best in the business playing that role. Dhoni also told him what his calm would lead to - shift the pressure on the bowler, leaving him with thinking to do. That’s how he transported Yash Dayal in a state of doubt during their final over one-on-one.
MORE THAN A FINISHER
That’s not all that Rinku Singh is made of. In 43 first-class matches, his 3000-plus runs have come at an average of 58.47. In between a series of white-ball matches, he also played a Ranji trophy match last week at Alappuzha against Kerala where he stroked 92. He was a late draft in India's A team in South Africa.
Given his compact game, adroitness against spin and general busy demeanor to run scoring, the grapevine is that Rinku Singh is catching the eye beyond his T20 specialisation.
Rasesh Mandani loves a straight drive. He has been covering cricket, the governance and business side of sport for close to two decades. He writes and video blogs for HT.
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