Aakash Chopra Claims Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma Will Be Back For T20 World Cup 2024, Names Only Left Hander In India's Batting

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra lauded Rinku for his contributions with the bat in the recent five-match T20I series against Australia. Aakash Chopra highlighted the significance of Rinku Singh’s performances with the next T20 World Cup just a few months away.

Rinku Singh emerged as a standout performer in the T20I series against Australia, scoring 105 runs at an impressive average of 52.50 and a remarkable strike rate of 175.00 in four matches. However, he faced a minor setback in the last game, managing to score only six runs.

Important For Rinku Singh To Do Well – Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra stressed that the series was crucial for Rinku Singh in the context of the upcoming T20 World Cup, highlighting his ability to bat in the lower-middle order.

“This was an important series for Rinku Singh because he is your only batter who bats at this number. He is doing so now and will do it for the Kolkata Knight Riders as well. He plays at No. 5 and sometimes at No. 6 wherever he plays. These numbers (No. 5 and No. 6) are very important. So it was important for him to do well,” Chopra said.

“This series was extremely important for him and India from the T20 World Cup perspective – somebody who can bat at No. 5 or No. 6, and he is a left-hander as well. You will find that you have a lot of left-handers in your team currently but as soon as the World Cup comes, you will say you don’t have a left-hander,” he added.

Who Is A Left-Hander? – Aakash Chopra

The cricketer-turned-commentator emphasized the importance of left-handers in the Indian team, especially if experienced players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return. He highlighted the scarcity of left-handers in the potential line-up.

“Rohit (Sharma) and (Virat) Kohli will come, Shreyas (Iyer) and Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) are there, I don’t know (KL) Rahul maybe, Hardik (Pandya) – they are all right-handers, so who is a left-hander? So Rinku Singh was very important for me and this series was very good for him.”

Rinku Singh Just Went A Little Soon – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra acknowledged Rinku Singh’s mindset, playing style, and temperament. He suggested that the young batter should have taken the game deeper in the last match.

“His mindset, the way he plays, and the temperament he shows – we can ignore the last match, where according to me, he played a bad shot to get out. It wasn’t the right time to try that shot. He just went a little too soon. He should have taken the game slightly deeper.”

Also read: “He Doesn’t Get Carried Away…” – S Sreesanth Compares Rinku Singh With Muhammad Ali