India batting sensation Rinku Singh has credited legendary MS Dhoni for his advice on how to finish matches, after he achieved the same in the first T20I against Australia which was played in Vizag on November 23, 2023.
Josh Inglis’ 110 and Steve Smith’s fifty was the pillar for Australia’s 208/3 after they had been asked to bat first by India captain Suryakumar Yadav. In response, Yadav led from the front, scoring 80 in 42 balls, and added 100-plus runs with Ishan Kishan who made 58.
But the match was finished by Rinku Singh, who made 22* in 14 balls as India won by 2 wickets. This is India’s highest successful chase in T20Is.
After the game, Rinku revealed that it was a perfect situation for him to come in and play his game. With 15 runs needed off 15 balls, India lost the wickets of Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh in quick succession, but Rinku made sure that India avoided a defeat.
“It's a good thing that our team won the match. It was the perfect situation for me when I went in to bat. I was feeling good playing alongside Surya bhai (Suryakumar Yadav). I was just thinking about what I've done in the past chasing such scores, and focused on staying as calm as I could and take the game to the final over,” Rinku told BCCI in a video.
Then Rinku spoke about MS Dhoni’s influence and guidance and credited the former India skipper for his advice to remain calm in the shortest format of the game.
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“I had a talk with Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) about what he does in the final few overs. He told me that it's important to stay calm and look to hit straight. That's what I follow. I try to stay calm, and hit my shots with low reaction,” Rinku added.
India will now face Australia in the second T20I on November 26 at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
Here is the video:
