The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Saturday, announced the 15-member India squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh at home. One of the major concerns surrounding the announcement was that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee picked only one specialist opener Abhishek Sharma, with Sanju Samson expected to join him at the top of the order. However, former India cricketer Saba Karim reckoned that India could introduce a fresh opening combination in the three-match series.
Samson is an experienced opener, having batted top of the order 23 times for Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils in his Indian Premier League (IPL) career, where he scored 559 runs at a strike rate of 135, with three fifties.
However, Karim, in conversation with JioCinema amid the rain delay on Day 3 of the second and final Test match between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, insisted that head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav could use Rinku Singh as an opener against Bangladesh.
The former India selector reckoned that with Rinku underutilised at No. 6 and 7, India could use the most of his explosive batting nature as an opener alongside fellow aggressive batter Abhishek.
"There is a strong possibility that we may see Rinku Singh along with Abhishek Sharma (open for India). Whatever opportunities Rinku has had so far in this side, he comes in number six or seven ,and he hardly gets any balls to get himself in... Rinku, mind you, is quite a complete player. If he gets more opportunities, if he gets more deliveries to face, he can add more value to the side. So there is a strong possibility of having that combination," Karim said.
Has Rinku Singh ever opened?
{{/usCountry}}"There is a strong possibility that we may see Rinku Singh along with Abhishek Sharma (open for India). Whatever opportunities Rinku has had so far in this side, he comes in number six or seven ,and he hardly gets any balls to get himself in... Rinku, mind you, is quite a complete player. If he gets more opportunities, if he gets more deliveries to face, he can add more value to the side. So there is a strong possibility of having that combination," Karim said.
Has Rinku Singh ever opened?
{{/usCountry}}The left-handed batter has never opened in any format, for any team in his career so far. The highest his has batted at is No. 3, for Kolkata Knight Riders last season, where he scored a run-a-ball 11 against Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens.
The three-match T20I series will be played on October 6, 9 and 12 in Gwalior, Delhi and Hyderabad respectively.