Team India registered a thumping 61-run victory over South Africa in the first T20I match at Kingsmead, Durban on Friday (November 8).
Riding on opener Sanju Samson’s second consecutive T20I hundred (107 off 50), the visitors racked up a massive 202/8 on the board.
In reply, the Proteas innings folded for 141 in 17.5 overs. The spin twin of Varun Chakaravarthy (3-25) and Ravi Bishnoi (3-28) were the wrecker-in-chief with the ball, picking up three scalps each in their four overs.
Despite the dominant win, former cricketer Aakash Chopra raised concerns over Rinku Singh's batting position in the current Indian T20I set-up.
The southpaw was sent to bat at No. 6, where he scored 11 off 10 deliveries with a couple of boundaries.
"Are we being fair to Rinku? It's a very important question. Why am I asking this question? You kept him in the team first, he is your original choice player. He was in your team against Bangladesh and before that as well. Whenever you have sent him up the order or he has got to bat in the powerplay, he has scored runs every time," said Chopra on his YouTube channel.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also highlighted Rinku's ability to bat up in the batting order where he can take the game forward. He believes India had the chance to utilize the left-hander at No. 4 in the first T20I against South Africa.
"He has scored a half-century every time. He has emerged as a crisis man. He scored those half-centuries at very good strike rates. So this was that opportunity. Why don't you send him at No. 4? What is the reason that you only send Rinku down the order, always at No. 6?" Chopra stated.
Aakash Chopra further suggested that Rinku Singh is not just a finisher but can control the innings while batting up in the middle-order.
"I am asking this question only because Rinku can finish, but he is not just a finisher. This is my understanding. I feel he knows how to drive the game. He is hitting sixes but he is not someone who muscles the ball. He is not Andre Russell and he is not Hardik Pandya as well," he remarked.
