Not Sanju Samson: Rinku Singh to open against Bangladesh in T20I series, claims Saba Karim

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim reckons that Rinku Singh should open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma in the T20I series against Bangladesh, which will begin on October 6 at Gwalior.

Karim believes that Rinku Singh is a complete player and should get more opportunities to express himself. Rinku has mostly batted in the middle order or lower order throughout his career for India as well as for his IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders.

His numbers at No. 6 or No. 7 as a finisher are exceptional. But there are some cases when he does not even get a chance to put impact because of the fewer number of balls he gets to face. However, he is immensely talented and is highly skilled to bat at any spot.

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Saba Karim wants Rinku Singh to open the batting for India

During a discussion on Jio Cinema, Karim said that Rinku Singh should open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma in the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh. Karim feels that Rinku does not get enough balls to face in the lower order and can be more valuable if he moves up the order.

"There is a strong possibility that we may see Rinku Singh along with Abhishek Sharma (open for India). Whatever opportunities Rinku has had so far in this side, he comes in number six or seven ,and he hardly gets any balls to get himself in... Rinku, mind you, is quite a complete player," Saba Karim said.

"If he gets more opportunities, if he gets more deliveries to face, he can add more value to the side. So there is a strong possibility of having that combination," he added.

In IPL 2024, KKR won the title but Rinku Singh did not have a particularly great season with the bat. This was because of the fewer no. of balls he got to face to create a significant impact.

Rinku Singh's numbers in international cricket

Rinku Singh is seen as a designated finisher in the team as he has been highly successful in this role in the IPL as well. The 26-year-old has excellent numbers in international cricket. He has played 23 T20Is so far and scored 418 runs at an excellent average of 59.71 and a strike rate of 174.16.

Another reason why Rinku could be pushed up the order is that India have selected just one designated opener in the squad for Bangladesh T20Is in the form of Abhishek Sharma. As of now, Sanju Samson seems to be the frontrunner for the role but Rinku can be pushed up as well.

The 15-member India squad will be led by Suryakumar Yadav and has some exciting faces in the form of Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakaravarthy. The three T20Is will be played on October 6, 9, and 12 at Gwalior, Delhi, and Hyderabad respectively.