[Watch] Rinku Singh crowned as Fielder of the Series for his exploits in India's 4-1 triumph over Zimbabwe
Team India's explosive batter Rinku Singh was awarded the best fielder medal for his consistent displays in the 4-1 series triumph against Zimbabwe. The Shubman Gill-led side wrapped up the series on a high after securing a comfortable 42-run win in the final T20I at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday, July 14.
The Men in Blue had posted 167-6 on the board after being put into bat first, which included an 11-run cameo by Rinku. The bowlers then put in a commanding display to dismantle the Zimbabwe batting unit, while the fielders also kept things tight to stay on top of the contest.
While the difference in levels between Zimbabwe and the touring second-string Indian squad was evident before the series, the gap was particularly significant fielding-wise. The Indian unit has been brilliant in the field, in terms of run outs, catching, and ground fielding, while Zimbabwe have been shambolic, to say the least.
The series did not have an individual medal ceremony after every match like the tradition at the World Cups. Instead, taking all of the five matches into account, stand-in fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh announced Rinku Singh as the winner of the medal. The ceremony kickstarted with T Dilip, the fielding coach who introduced the tradition, sending a message through a recorded video.
Have a look at the video right here:
The dressing room broke into applause and cheers after Rinku was announced as the winner. The explosive fielder did not avail too many chances with the bat as the top order reigned supreme in the series. He ended up with 60 runs in three innings without losing his wicket once.
VVS Laxman awarded the best fielder medal to Rinku Singh
The recipients of the fielding medal have seen some prominent members of Indian and world cricket handing over the prize, and it was no different this time around as well. Head coach of the Indian team for the Zimbabwe tour, VVS Laxman, was asked to hand the award to Rinku Singh.
Rinku was hesitant to deliver a speech but was forced by his teammates to say a few words. With Ravi Bishnoi having already placed a stool for the winner to climb onto and speak, Rinku spoke for a few seconds before jumping off.
"Firstly, I would like to say 'God's Plan'. It was nice to play alongside everyone, I think this was my fourth or fifth series, so it was quite nice. To be honest, I did not get to bat much, but I love fielding a lot. I enjoy it a lot, it is quite fun," he said in the BCCI video.
Team India will be next seen in action during the tour of Sri Lanka, where they are slated to play three ODIs and three T20Is.