"Rinku Singh Is The Only Guy Ready For..."- Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan reckons Rinku Singh is ready to face the Proteas attack in India’s T20I series against South Africa. This series could potentially be the toughest challenge of his international career. Rinku Singh is likely to bat at No.5 for the Men In Blue when they face the Proteas in the three-match T20I series starting on Sunday in Durban.

Irfan Pathan was asked during a discussion on the Star Sports show ‘Game Plan’, whether the T20I series against the Proteas will be the toughest test for Rinku Singh, to which he replied, “I think he will enjoy the bounce and pace of the ball because he is the kind of cricketer who likes to face fast bowling. I really think he is a guy who is ready. Especially being a left-hander and especially being a free-flowing player will help.”

The former India all-rounder feels the Uttar Pradesh batter’s vast domestic experience will hold him in good stead. He elaborated, “He is extremely impressive. When a guy has done the hard yards in domestic cricket and waited for his chance to come good in the IPL, that means he has got a lot of experience. He knows how to take those chances, that will come his way, with both hands.”

Irfan Pathan pointed out that the bowlers are generally under pressure at the stage when Rinku usually comes to bat. He believes that the left-handed power hitter will take full advantage of these situations and will look to put more pressure on the bowlers.

Irfan Pathan Acknowledges Rinku Singh’s Rise In International Cricket

Irfan Pathan mentioned that Rinku Singh might have got the spotlight on the international stage recently but the southpaw has been delivering spectacular performances in domestic cricket for a long time. He said, “We are seeing him getting results lately, he is playing for the Indian team and finished a very good game for the Indian team recently, and his name has been doing the rounds for the last little while, but don’t forget that he has been playing first-class cricket and List A cricket for many years.”

The former all-rounder added that the batter had to put a lot of effort into making it into Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) playing XI. He observed, “He has put in a lot of effort. It wasn’t that he got his place in the IPL as soon as he came in. He used to play just as a fielder and then the team liked him. They backed him and now they are getting the results.”

Rinku Singh delivered excellently for KKR in the IPL 2023, amassing 474 runs, averaging 59.25, and having a strike rate of 149.52 in 14 innings. His wonders in IPL earned him a spot in India’s T20I side and he has made the most of the opportunity by smashing 180 runs at an average of 60.00 and a massive strike rate of 187.50 in six innings.