Rinku Singh robbed of prime years as BCCI accused of wasting a T20I monster

Rinku Singh once again showed why many believe India has not used him enough in T20I cricket, and his stunning knock against New Zealand in the five-match T20I series opener on January 21 has reopened a big debate around his role in the national side.

In the first T20I against New Zealand at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, Rinku Singh delivered a powerful reminder of his finishing skills. Batting in the lower order, the 28-year-old smashed 44 runs from just 20 balls against the Black Caps.

Rinku Singh's late assault in Nagpur sparks fresh debate

His innings was packed with intent and clean hitting, featuring four boundaries and three sixes. The highlight came in the final over, where Rinku tore into the Kiwi attack and scored 21 runs, pushing India to a massive total of 238/7 on the board in their 20 overs.

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That total proved far beyond New Zealand’s reach as they struggled throughout the chase and eventually fell 48 runs short of the target, with the Indian team recording a dominant win in Nagpur. While Abhishek Sharma’s 84 and captain Suryakumar Yadav’s 32-run knock were notable, Rinku’s late assault completely shifted the momentum.

Simon Doull questions India’s use of Rinku Singh

After the Men in Blue took a 1-0 lead in the ongoing five-match T20I series against the Black Caps, the former New Zealander Simon Doull made a bold statement against the Indian think tank. He slammed India for not offering enough opportunities to Rinku in T20I cricket.

Since making his T20I debut in 2023, Rinku has played only 36 matches for India, and this number looks surprisingly low considering his impact with the bat whenever he gets an opportunity in the format.

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star was notably left out of India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, but he has now earned a place in the squad for the 2026 edition, and many, including Doull, hope that the attacking batter will get his chance this time.

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He could easily have played 100 T20Is by now: Simon Doull for Rinku Singh to be backed as India’s finisher

The former New Zealand pacer feels India has not fully used a player with such rare finishing skills, saying they now need to trust Rinku as their full-time finisher and give him a long run without second thought in the fastest format of the game.

Doull stressed that Rinku has everything needed to dominate the death overs in the format. He pointed out that the left-hander’s calm mindset, ability to handle pressure, and explosive power make him one of the most dangerous batters to bowl to at the end of an inning.

Simon Doull was quoted as saying by Star Sports: “Rinku Singh is one of the best finishers in the game. We saw him burst onto the scene in the IPL four or five years ago, and I still feel he hasn’t played enough T20 cricket for India since then.

He should have featured far more and could easily have played 100 games by now. Rinku needs to be backed in that finishing role because he is exceptional at it. Despite his height, he is incredibly powerful, and his ability to get under the ball at the death makes him extremely difficult to bowl to.”