No One Can Drop Rinku Singh Now From India's T20 World Cup Squad 2024 Claims Gavaskar

Former Indian cricketer Rohan Gavaskar praised middle-order batter Rinku Singh for his impressive batting display in the third T20I against Afghanistan. Rohan Gavaskar emphasized that Rinku Singh should not be pigeonholed solely as a finisher in T20 cricket.

Rinku Singh showcased an exceptional batting performance in the final T20I at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on January 17. The left-handed batter scored 69 runs off 39 balls at an impressive strike rate of 176.92, hitting six sixes and two boundaries.

The 26-year-old entered the crease when the team was at 22/4. The southpaw forged an unbeaten 190-run partnership with Rohit Sharma for the fifth wicket. He smashed three consecutive sixes in the 20th over against Karim Janat, helping India to a total of 212/4.

Rinku Singh Knows How To Build An Innings – Rohan Gavaskar

In a discussion with Cricbuzz, Rohan Gavaskar praised Rinku Singh, emphasizing his versatility as a batsman. Gavaskar noted Rinku’s impressive first-class record, highlighting his ability to build innings in challenging situations.

“He’s got that; we’ve seen that in the past. And that’s the beauty of Rinku – it’s not just one gear. Don’t pigeonhole him as just a finisher. He’s got the ability; his first-class average is 60. He knows how to build an innings,” Rohan Gavaskar said.

“He’s got this massive power-hitting ability, and the ability to finish games doesn’t mean that he has to only bat from the 14th or 15th over. We’ve seen what he can do when the team is in a bit of a pickle, 22/4. It was just outstanding,” he added.

Rohit Sharma Smashes His Fifth T20I Century In Final Match

Rohit Sharma scored 121 runs off 69 deliveries with an impressive strike rate of 175.36, comprising eight sixes and 11 boundaries. The Indian skipper made a strong return to form after two consecutive ducks in the previous games and reached his fifth T20I century.

Other Indian batters, Virat Kohli, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shivam Dube, failed to make significant contributions with the bat. Afghanistan’s Fareed Ahmad shone with the ball, securing excellent figures of 3/20, while Azmatullah Omarzai claimed one wicket.

In the run chase, Gulbadin Naib played a blistering innings, scoring an unbeaten 55 runs off 23 balls. Mohammad Nabi contributed with 34 runs off 16 deliveries, including two fours and three sixes. The Afghan team leveled India’s score, forcing the game into a Super Over.

Ravi Bishnoi Defends 11 Runs In Second Super Over

In the first Super Over, the visiting team scored 16 runs. Naib added one run, while Gurbaz and Nabi contributed four and six each. Despite Rohit’s back-to-back sixes off Omarzai, the hosts leveled the opposition score, leading to a second Super Over to determine the result.

In the second Super Over, the Indian team batted first but could only score 11 runs. However, Ravi Bishnoi dismissed Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz for ducks, restricting Afghanistan to just one run. India emerged victorious in the thrilling match.

Also read: IND vs AFG: Yuvraj Singh Lauds Rinku Singh For Incredible T20 Form, Says ‘He Reminds Me Of Myself’