3 MS Dhoni records that Rinku Singh can break in T20s
Rinku Singh made a promising start to his international career with a Player of the Match display against Ireland during the second T20I on Sunday. The left-handed batter struck 38 runs off just 21 deliveries to boost India's total in the first innings.
He received a maiden call-up after his stunning 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign, where he scored 474 runs in 14 innings for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). If his recent exploits are anything to go by, Team India do not have to look too far to find their ideal finisher in the shortest format.
The lower-middle order has been an area of concern for the Men in Blue, for quite a while. With Hardik Pandya playing a bit up in the order, the finishing department has been a little short-handed, which has cost India on several occasions.
No candidate has been able to showcase the skills in a difficult position for a prolonged time, including the likes of Dinesh Karthik. Now, with the 2024 T20 World Cup nearing, Team India are desperate to groom a candidate for the position.
Rinku Singh's performances in the death overs will undoubtedly be compared to MS Dhoni - arguably the greatest finisher Team India ever had. The former captain's presence down the order was a source of comfort to several, to the point that the team and fans were spoiled. Since his departure, India have struggled to lock down a player that fits the bill.
On that note, let us take a look at three MS Dhoni records that Rinku Singh can break in T20s.
#1 Most number of not-outs in T20Is and IPL
MS Dhoni was the unmatched master in chasing and more often than not, made sure that he helped the team cross the line. In doing so, he has remained unbeaten on many occasions, and even while batting first, he sees to it that he scores as many runs as possible without losing his wicket.
As a result of this approach, Dhoni holds the record for being not out across the most number of matches in T20Is as well as the IPL. The wicketkeeper-batter has remained not out in the IPL a total of 65 times in 250 matches and 42 times in 97 matches.
In his maiden international innings, Rinku Singh was dismissed off the penultimate delivery of the match, and narrowly missed out on being not out. But, he has shown enough promise in the IPL to prove that he has a genuine shot of breaking the target if he maintains consistency to remain in the playing XI.
Rinku has remained not out in nine innings out of 29 in his IPL career so far, out of which six came in the 2023 edition alone.
#2 Most number of sixes hit in the 20th over
MS Dhoni played the long game, even in the shortest format. He was never one of the players who exploded from the very first ball itself unless the situation demanded immediate urgency.
The former skipper, after taking games deep, has amassed a whole lot of sixes in the final over of the innings. Coupled with his flair of finishing the match with a maximum, he has hit 74 sixes in the 20th over in T20s across his career.
Rinku Singh, on the other hand, while well far-off, has made a solid start. His gathering reputation as a finisher began with his famous five consecutive sixes in the final over against the Gujarat Titans (GT). In total, he has hit 12 sixes in the final over in his career so far.
#3 Most runs in the 20th over
As mentioned earlier, Dhoni operating in the death overs has resulted in the majority of his runs being scored in the final overs. The flurry of boundaries, the ruthless six-hitting, and the brisk running between the wickets have earned him copious runs in the final over of the innings when things get most desperate for a batting side, be it batting first or second.
Dhoni has amassed 1006 runs in the final over across his T20 career in 146 innings, becoming the first Indian and the second player after Kieron Pollard to breach the 1000-run mark. He has scored these runs at a strike rate of 223.05.
Although quite early for comparison, Rinku Singh has made a good start by scoring 94 runs in the 20th over in 13 innings. The left-handed batter has scored these runs at a strike rate of 208.88.
Will Rinku Singh be a long-term prospect for Team India in T20I cricket? Let us know what you think.