He was dropped from India T20I squad for T20I series 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.”
Rinku Singh can draw 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 in T20s, 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. While openers are locked, India still have a chance to try him at No.3 as Tilak isn’t available for the first three T20Is of the five-match series against New Zealand. Rinku’s ability to play different roles offers balance—use him for explosive starts or position him in the middle order as a crisis man.
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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While Rinku Singh has performed well in T20 international cricket, he 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, 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 long innings.
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