New Delhi: Rinku Singh’s prowess in closing out games and thriving in high-pressure situations for India has garnered him accolades since his T20I debut for India in 2023.
These qualities of Rinku were on display again when he hit a fifty and shared a whirlwind 108-run stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy to set the base for India taking a series win over Bangladesh in Delhi, after 41/3 at the end of power-play.
“I always bat when three or four wickets are down, so it’s always a pressure situation. I try to bat according to the match situation and communicate with my partner. I hadn’t planned on making a big score, but due to the slow wicket, we focused on taking singles and doubles and playing each ball on its merit.”
“When he (Nitish) smashed a six off the no-ball, his confidence soared. He batted very intelligently, and we kept chatting throughout. We had a lot of fun, and I just told him that this is God’s plan and that he should keep going for big shots,” said Rinku to broadcasters JioCinema.
He also talked about how the Indian team management has told him about his position changing as per match scenarios. “It does fluctuate sometimes. If it’s the last few overs, Hardik bhaiya goes ahead, and they send me in if there are middle overs left. They’ve made it clear that my position can change based on the match situation.”
Rinku further gave an insight into his chats with new head coach Gautam Gambhir. “We haven’t discussed anything special. He gave me a lot of freedom at KKR to maintain my style and my practice routines. He just told me to keep playing my game and believe in myself.”
He also explained how first-class cricket exposure has helped him. “It’s very useful. I love playing red-ball cricket. I bat in a similar position in first-class matches, after a few wickets have fallen. I always back myself and try to make the most of every opportunity to score runs for my team.”
Rinku signed off by saying he reminded captain Suryakumar Yadav about his bowling abilities. “Yes, I reminded him that I took three wickets in seven matches and bowled against Sri Lanka too. He knows that when the wicket is turning, he can give me the ball as well.”
–IANS