The former Indian wicket-keeper batter, Saba Karim, has revealed the name of Rinku Singh for the opening position of the upcoming three T20I games against Bangladesh in the first week of October. The left-handed batter has mostly batted in the middle order and earned success for the Blue Brigade.
In 23 T20I games, Rinku Singh has notched up 418 runs at an average of 60 and a strike rate of around 175 with the help of two half-centuries at a best score of unbeaten 69 runs.
The youngster made it into the international stage of the game after a sensational Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2023, where he collected 474 runs in 14 innings at an average of around 60 and a strike rate of nearly 150.
“Rinku Singh can open with Abhishek Sharma”- Saba Karim
The last shortest format of the game, for the Aligarh-born, came in Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Stadium. The squad that India has picked up for the upcoming three-match series Bangladesh doesn’t have any regular opener in the side, apart from the left-handed Abhishek Sharma.
In that case, the question stands with whom the Blue Brigade will open. Karim believes that Rinku Singh’s explosive batting abilities would complement Abhishek’s aggressive batting approach, making a formidable opening pair between them.
“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.” The former wicket-keeper batter for the Indian team noted during an analysis on Jio Cinema on the third day of the second Test match between India and Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.
The veteran painted out that the batting potential of the 26-year-old could be utilized higher up the order, particularly at the opening slot. He also highlighted that so often the batter had been given the job at number seven, where he only has the job of nailing the balls, and that restricted the chance of making a substantial impact on the game.
“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.” Saba Karim pointed out.
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Rinku Singh didn’t get many chances to show his potential during their recent games against Sri Lanka when he was slotted down and found himself for minimal time at the crease. The backing of the management at the opening position could be a huge boon for the batter as the team will also enjoy the luxury of their top-order depth.
In 134 T20s overall, he has smashed 2610 runs at an average of around 34 and a strike rate of nearly 150, shouldering on 15 half-centuries with a best score of 79 runs.
The first of the three-match T20I series will be played on October 06 at the New Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium in Gwalior. The second game of the series will take place on October 09 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, before the teams move to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium for the third game on October 12.