"The way he has been able to understand the conditions" - Former Indian selector hails Rinku Singh as find of the Ireland T20s
Former National selector Saba Karim praised young batter Rinku Singh as "the find " of the recently concluded T20I series against Ireland. Team India emerged victorious in the series 2-0, with the final game getting washed out due to inclement weather.
In his debut series, Rinku batted only once — in the second T20I — but played a game-changing knock of 38 from 21 deliveries. It included two 4s and three 6s and led to the southpaw being adjudged the Player of the Match.
Speaking to Jio Cinema after the Ireland series, Saba Karim felt that the 25-year-old transitioned seamlessly from domestic to international cricket.
"Rinku Singh's transition from a domestic cricketer to an international cricketer - that for me is the find of this tour. Lots of positives here. Top of my mind, it has to be Rinku Singh - the way he has been able to understand the conditions and the demands of the international game," said Karim.
Playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, Rinku broke through this season, scoring 474 runs at an average of 59.25 and a 149.53 strike rate.
The up-and-coming batter showed plenty of promise as a potential finisher for the Men in Blue, a role that the team has struggled with since the retirement of MS Dhoni.
"Good to see that he did not need to change his game plan at all" - Saba Karim
Saba Karim further praised Rinku Singh for being unflustered in his maiden international assignment and for implementing his game plan, which has worked wonders for him in domestic cricket.
Apart from the IPL, the 25-year-old also boasts impressive domestic numbers, with a first-class average of 57.82 and a List-A average of almost 50 for Uttar Pradesh.
"The way he was able to play such a stable innings, that is the way that he has played not only in IPL but also in domestic matches. Good to see that he did not need to change his game plan at all. Good to see not to see him flustered. And that is a huge positive for me," said Karim.
After missing out on the West Indies T20I squad, Rinku expressed his disappointment on social media. After an impressive showing in his only innings for India, the left-hander will look to showcase his skills in his next assignment at the Asian games.
The T20 tournament, featuring a second-string Indian squad, begins on September 19 and concludes on October 8.