There is a bright chance for middle-order batsman Rinku Singh to secure a place in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup next year; however, former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra feels that Rinku faces fierce competition for the finisher’s role in the playing eleven.
In the ongoing T20I series against AustraliaRinku has been strengthening his case for a permanent position as a finisher in the Indian team with impressive performances towards the end of the innings.His unbeaten 22 off 14 balls in Visakhapatnam played a crucial role in chasing down a target of 209.Rinku continued to showcase his finishing abilities by scoring a quickfire 31 not out off just nine balls in Thiruvananthapuram and an exciting 29-ball 46 in Raipur. Known for his composure and steady head position, Rinku has effectively demonstrated his big-hitting skills, a role in which he excels for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket.
“There is no doubt that Rinku Singh is a contender for inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup squad. But the World Cup is still far away and the spot he’s fighting for has many challengers. You can look at Jitesh Sharma (the wicketkeeper-batter) and Tilak Varma. We’ll have to discuss the positions where Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya will play.
“So we have to see how many spots are available in the 15-member squad. But one thing is sure, he has opened everyone’s eyes and put everyone under pressure. But there’s still a lot of time to go. The trip to South Africa is coming up, followed by the IPL,” said Nehra on JioCinema ahead of India’s fifth T20I against Australia.
India have already sealed the five-match series with a 3-1 lead.
When questioned about India’s fast bowlers conceding too many runs in the series, Nehra highlighted that the team had been providing opportunities to other players due to the rest given to first-choice players. He credited pacer Mukesh Kumar for making a significant positive impact on the team.
“The conditions for the first three matches were different and a lot of the bowlers have changed. Your experienced bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested.
“If you speak of Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar, they have just been introduced to international cricket. And then we saw over 200 runs being scored in the first three matches. So it’s not that only the Indian bowlers leaked runs, even Australia’s bowlers have given away a lot of runs.
“In these circumstances, Mukesh Kumar has been a big positive for India. The way he has bowled with wet balls, his execution of yorkers and bowling in the death overs has been terrific,” he concluded.
(With IANS inputs)
In the ongoing T20I series against AustraliaRinku has been strengthening his case for a permanent position as a finisher in the Indian team with impressive performances towards the end of the innings.His unbeaten 22 off 14 balls in Visakhapatnam played a crucial role in chasing down a target of 209.Rinku continued to showcase his finishing abilities by scoring a quickfire 31 not out off just nine balls in Thiruvananthapuram and an exciting 29-ball 46 in Raipur. Known for his composure and steady head position, Rinku has effectively demonstrated his big-hitting skills, a role in which he excels for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket.
“There is no doubt that Rinku Singh is a contender for inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup squad. But the World Cup is still far away and the spot he’s fighting for has many challengers. You can look at Jitesh Sharma (the wicketkeeper-batter) and Tilak Varma. We’ll have to discuss the positions where Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya will play.
“So we have to see how many spots are available in the 15-member squad. But one thing is sure, he has opened everyone’s eyes and put everyone under pressure. But there’s still a lot of time to go. The trip to South Africa is coming up, followed by the IPL,” said Nehra on JioCinema ahead of India’s fifth T20I against Australia.
India have already sealed the five-match series with a 3-1 lead.
When questioned about India’s fast bowlers conceding too many runs in the series, Nehra highlighted that the team had been providing opportunities to other players due to the rest given to first-choice players. He credited pacer Mukesh Kumar for making a significant positive impact on the team.
“The conditions for the first three matches were different and a lot of the bowlers have changed. Your experienced bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested.
“If you speak of Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar, they have just been introduced to international cricket. And then we saw over 200 runs being scored in the first three matches. So it’s not that only the Indian bowlers leaked runs, even Australia’s bowlers have given away a lot of runs.
“In these circumstances, Mukesh Kumar has been a big positive for India. The way he has bowled with wet balls, his execution of yorkers and bowling in the death overs has been terrific,” he concluded.
(With IANS inputs)
