After his stunning exploits in the IPL 2023 season, Rinku Singh was rewarded a place in India’s squad for the T20I tour of Ireland and the Hangzhou Asian Games. The southpaw did reasonably well in the lower middle-order to retain his place in the national side.
Rinku is currently featuring in the five-T20I series against Australia at home. In the opening match, he played a crucial cameo of 22* in 14 balls to take India over the finishing line while chasing a massive target of 209 at Vizag.
In the second T20I, the left-hander produced another quickfire knock of 31* in 9 balls while he didn’t get a chance to bat in the third game.
Impressed with his finishing ability, some former cricketers have given Rinku Singh the tag of a reliable finisher while a few have also compared him to the legendary MS Dhoni.
However, former India pacer Ashish Nehra doesn't seem to agree with the word 'finisher' and feels a player of Rinku's caliber can also bat up the order and be in the scheme of things of ODI cricket.
"This is not the first time he has done it. We all have been discussing his role, his power. Not just about his batting, even with the way he throws himself on the field, it shows he is a great team man. He will be a great asset to Indian cricket. Yes, we are talking only about T20 cricket, but who knows tomorrow he can also be playing ODI cricket," Nehra told JioCinema.
"I am not a big fan of the word 'finisher'. Your opener can be a finisher, if he scores a hundred, he can finish the game and come back. At times, it can be harsh. Let me give you an example, if the same Rinku Singh doesn't finish the game once or twice. Coming back to Rinku Singh, he is someone who can even play up the order, I can see him playing in 50-over cricket going forward. He can bat at No. 4, No. 5 or No. 6," he added.
In his brief T20I career so far, Rinku Singh has left a huge mark, scoring 128 runs in eight matches and four innings at a remarkable average of 128.00. His runs have come at a strike rate of over 216.95 and he has stayed unbeaten on three occasions.
"On any odd day, the Indian team can be 40 for 4 in 5-6 overs. And I hope Rinku Singh is ready to play any role, I hope he doesn't want to be tagged himself as a finisher. He should be looking to excel in all departments," Nehra remarked.
