He was dropped from India T20I squad vs South Africa.
Rinku Singh, India’s go-to T20 finisher, expressed his eagerness for a new role in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, starting February 7. India will open their campaign against the USA at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The 28-year-old, who was in the travelling reserves when India lifted the T20 World Cup 2024, asserted that he can’t be looked at just as a finisher. He emphasised that he has all the gears and technique to play anywhere in the batting order.
Rinku Singh told Times of India, “At the position I usually bat, people see me more as a finisher, but I don’t think I can only play that role. I can bat anywhere. I’ve batted in the powerplay in domestic cricket and for India. I’ve scored all three of my fifties in the powerplay.”
The left-handed batter draws confidence from his track record. Additionally, his strong setup and ability to dismantle both spin and pace equally well allow him to perform well across all phases. His IPL experiences have sharpened that aggression while maintaining his calm demeanour.
While Rinku Singh hasn’t batted much in the powerplay, he has scored 47 runs off 33 balls at a strike rate of 142.4. That puts him in contention for the potential No.3 spot, if Tilak Varma doesn’t recover in time for the T20 World Cup 2026. India still have a chance to experiment in the first three T20Is of the five-match series against New Zealand. Rinku’s ability to play different roles offers balance. He can be used for explosive starts or positioned in the middle order.
So far, Rinku Singh has usually batted in the lower middle order. Most of his innings have come at No.5 and No.6, where he has played nine innings each and achieved strong results, scoring at averages of 40.85 (165.31 SR) and 90.50 (158.77 SR), respectively. At No.7, he has batted on five occasions, but only twice at No.4.
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Besides T20Is, Rinku Singh has excelled in List A and First-Class cricket. In FC cricket, he has scored 3,677 runs in 74 innings at an average of 59.30, including nine hundreds and 22 fifties. On the other hand, the left-hander has accumulated 2,418 runs in List A cricket at an average of 52.56 and a strike rate of 101.17, with two hundreds and 21 fifties.
In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025-26, Rinku has batted at No.5 for Uttar Pradesh, collecting 421 runs at an average of 105.25 and a strike rate of 139.87, which includes one hundred and three fifties.
In the Ranji Trophy 2025-26, he scored 341 runs in two matches at an average of 341, with two hundreds. His highest score was 176, showing his ability to play a long innings.
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