5 sixes on the last 5 balls against Gujarat in IPL-2023... Six on the last ball of the first T20 against Australia and 31 runs on 9 balls in the second. These innings are strengthening Rinku Singh's claim as India's future finisher.
26-year-old Rinku from Aligarh scored 105 runs at a strike rate of 175.00 and an average of 52.50 in the T-20 series against Australia. Rinku played 60 balls in the series and hit 17 boundaries (13 fours and 4 sixes). That means he hit a boundary on every fourth ball. Will Rinku, who emerged as a finisher at the beginning of his career, be able to replace legendary finishers like MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.
Rinku does whatever he says and works hard with confidence in himself. If they are given some task in training, they do not leave the ground without completing the work. They listen to the coach with an open mind and also work on their weaknesses.
The most difficult role in T-20 is that of the finisher. The way he is playing, I think we should wait a bit. Because they are getting success in the initial days but they will also fail in the coming days.
His consistency has been very good this time. If we look at his T20, Ranji or IPL performance, he has scored runs at an average of more than 50. I think if anyone in India is finishing the game consistently at this time, it is Rinku. Rinku likes to live in the present and I also feel the same. He is doing well at the moment and he should focus on the current matches and not think too far ahead.
Dinesh Karthik posted the photo of Rinku-Nair and wrote - 'This is a very reassuring picture. This photo captures the relationship between the two, which began during my time at KKR in 2018. Nair always felt that Rinku had potential. He always used to say that Rinku is waiting for an opportunity and will do something special.
For Rinku to grow up, it was necessary that someone help her. I think Nair has done a lot of work to make Rinku think big. Abhishek left no stone unturned in strengthening her skills and thinking.
Rinku has hit 28 sixes in IPL death overs so far in IPL, out of which he has hit 28 sixes in the death overs of the last two seasons. Death overs i.e. the phase of 16 to 20 overs, where the team needs to score runs quickly and the players focus only on hitting big shots. During this period, Rinku scored 394 runs at a strike rate of more than 187. Which is more than finishers like Dinesh Karthik, Tim David and Marcus Stoinis.
More sixes were hit in the 20th over of IPL than Dhoni-Russell. In T-20 cricket, the 20th over of the innings is important for both the batting and bowling teams. The batting team wants to score maximum runs here, while the bowling team wants to give minimum runs. In the last two seasons of IPL, Rinku is at the top among those who have hit the most sixes in this over. He scored runs in the 20th over at a strike rate of 217 and hit a total of 11 sixes. Veteran players like Andre Russell (10) and MS Dhoni (9) are also behind him in terms of sixes in the 20th over.
Sixer King Rinku Rinku scored a lot of runs in domestic T-20 cricket also. He is the captain of UP. In the last two seasons, Rinku has hit the maximum number of 14 sixes in the death overs of the domestic T-20 tournament. Between 16 and 20 overs, he has scored 201 runs in 6 innings at a strike rate of 231. Which is the highest among the remaining players of 38 teams.
Rinku, who made his international debut on August 18, has played 5 important innings in 10 matches. His strike rate is more than 187. He did not bat in the first match against Ireland, but in the second match he scored 38 runs on 21 balls. Then he got a chance in the Asian Games, where he scored 37 runs on 15 balls in the very first match.
Recently, he was also made a part of the T-20 series against Australia. Here he played 3 important innings of 22 runs on 14 balls, 31 runs on 9 balls and 46 runs on 29 balls. All three times he took the team out of a difficult situation and took it to a strong score.
The six came in a pressure situation, India needed one run on the last ball in Visakhapatnam on 23 November. In the first match of the T-20 series, the team had lost 3 wickets in 5 balls. Australian bowler Shaun Abbott bowled a fuller length ball while attempting a yorker and Rinku gave the team victory by hitting a six over long on. This shot, which came in a pressure situation, shows Rinku's mental strength.
Scored 46 runs on 29 balls under pressure. In the fourth T20 in Raipur, Team India had lost 3 big wickets for 63 runs. In such a situation, Rinku played a restrained inning of 46 runs on 29 balls and took the team's score beyond 160. In this pressure-filled innings, he scored runs at a strike rate of 158.62 including 2 fours and 2 sixes.
Rinku's name came into limelight after hitting 5 sixes. One of Rinku's exploits became immortal in the world of cricket on 9 April 2023. Kolkata Knight Riders need 28 runs on the last 5 balls against IPL-2022 champion Gujarat Titans. Before this, such a target had never been achieved in the history of T20 cricket. Rinku hit 5 sixes one after the other on the ball of Gujarat's left arm pacer Yash Dayal and gave her team an impossible victory. What happened then was that after all the hard work in domestic cricket, his name was put in front of the world in just one over.
Experts believe that Rinku can become India's finisher in all three formats. In domestic cricket, his average in List-A and First Class is more than 50. As a finisher, he seems to be the best option for Team India.
Pandya, Jadeja and Patel are the 3 finishers in the team. Currently, Pandya is injured, Jadeja's finishing skills are not that special and Axar plays as Jaddu's option. The selectors are setting him at the finisher position, so that when Hardik returns fit, he gets another partner to finish the match.
Rinku has been selected in the ODI team for the South Africa tour. The tour will start from December 10. Looking at the recent form, Rinku may also get a chance to make his ODI debut this time. After playing 3 ODIs against Afghanistan in January, the team also has to play the T20 World Cup next year. In such a situation, Rinku will have to maintain his form in IPL-2024.
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