Rinku Singh to play Test Cricket for India? Finisher deals fresh blow to BCCI

Rinku Singh is a vital player for India in T20I cricket. The youngster has an excellent record in the shortest format of the game and it is the format that gave him most of the fame. He has also played two ODIs for India and is looked at as a white-ball specialist for India in the future.

However, Rinku Singh has even bigger ambitions for himself in international cricket. The 26-year-old also wants to represent India in Test cricket and wants to become an all-format cricketer for India.

For those who don't know, Rinku has outstanding numbers in first-class cricket. The left-hander has played 47 first-class matches and scored 3173 runs at a staggering average of 54.70 with 7 hundreds and 20 fifties.

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Rinku Singh speaks on his objectives for Test cricket

While speaking to News24, Rinku Singh was clear in his future ambitions of playing Test cricket for India.

He mentioned that he has a good record in first-class cricket and he enjoys batting with the red ball.

“I want to play all three formats of the game. I like playing Test cricket a lot. My batting average in red-ball cricket is 55. Mujhe bahut pasand hai laal ball khelna. Bahut maja ata hai mujhe khelne mein (I really enjoy playing red-ball cricket)," Rinku said.

The youngster further stated that it is a big thing to play Test cricket for your country as almost everyone plays white-ball cricket.

"Test cricket is very big cricket. White-ball to sab khelte hai magar Test khelna bahut badi baat hai aaj ke time mein. Toh vo mai khelna chahunga (Everyone plays white-ball cricket but playing Tests is a big thing. So, I would like to play it),” Rinku added.

Recently, Rinku was not named in any of the squads for the Duleep Trophy 2024 which raised eyebrows. However, Rinku is likely to be available in the second round of matches in the Duleep Trophy.

Making a spot in India's Test team is not an easy task as it is easily the toughest format of the game. However, Rinku Singh's aggressive batting approach can help him nail the spot as India has opted for an aggressive brand of cricket lately in red-ball cricket.

Rinku Singh's T20I career

Rinku Singh entered international cricket through brilliant performances in the IPL. He had exceptional seasons with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022 and 2023 where he played the role of a finisher to perfection. His ability to score quick runs and smash big hits makes him a unique player.

He had a brilliant start to his international career as he showed tremendous consistency while playing for India. Rinku has played 23 T20Is for India and scored 418 runs at an average of 59.71 and a strike rate of 174.16.

Despite his outstanding performances, Rinku was unable to find a spot in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad. However, he is likely to play a key role in India's limited-overs teams in the future.