Rinku Singh’s impressive innings of 22 runs off 14 balls against Australia drew comparisons to the finishing prowess of MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya. Despite losing the advantage after Suryakumar Yadav’s dismissal in the death overs, Rinku, in a composed manner, guided India to a 2-wicket triumph in the pursuit of 209 runs, giving the host team a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
Abhishek Nayar, a former India player who has worked with Rinku in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ camp, praised the left-handed batter, highlighting the value of his runs. Nayar emphasized Rinku’s importance, stating that while he may not win games every time, a player with his qualities is crucial.
“MS Dhoni played the finisher’s role for years. Hardik Pandya is doing it at the moment. We have Rinku Singh, who has similar qualities. He scored 22 runs but look at the value of those runs. He will not be able to win games everytime but a player like him is important,” Abhishek said post match.
Suryakumar Yadav, serving as the stand-in captain, played a stellar role by smashing 80 runs off 42 balls, earning him the Player of the Match title. Ishan Kishan also made a significant contribution with the bat, scoring 58 runs from 39 deliveries. The Australian innings saw notable performances from Josh Inglis (110) and Steve Smith (52), propelling them to a total of 208/3.
