Is Rinku Singh battling poor form in T20Is? Decoding stats
Rinku Singh perished for an 11-ball 9 in the 2nd T20I against South Africa held at St George's Park, Gqeberha on Sunday. This comes after the southpaw could only score 11 runs from 10 balls in the first outing. Rinku, who has become a regular in India's T20I set-up, has looked a bit flat of late. Notably, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed concerns over the team management's use of Rinku. Here are further details.
Rinku falls flat in the ongoing series versus SA
In the first T20I against South Africa, Rinku was dismissed by pacer Gerald Coetzee after scoring just 11. Coetzee bowled short into the surface, rolling his fingers over the ball. Rinku's early pull shot saw him glove the ball behind. On Sunday, Rinku had the platform to build his innings and stay until the end but he failed. It was Coetzee who dismissed the batter again. A tossed up delivery around off saw Rinku go for the slog sweep.
Rinku's performance in 2024 (T20Is)
Rinku started 2024 with a bang, scoring three unbeaten scores of 16, 9 and 69 against Afghanistan. In the 5-match series versus Zimbabwe, Rinku produced scores worth 0, 48*, 1*, and another unbeaten 11. In the 3-match series versus Sri Lanka next, Rinku batted in two innings, scoring 1 run each. Versus Bangladesh, he hit 53 and an unbeaten 8. And now versus South Africa, he has fallen for 11 and 9.
15-less runs in 5 innings while being dismissed in 2024
In 28 matches for India, Rinku owns 499 runs. His average has dropped down to under 50 (49.90). In 13 innings this year, Rinku has gone unbeaten 7 times. On five occasions, he has scored under 15 runs while being dismissed. He has two fifties in total.
Chopra advocated for Rinku's promotion in batting order
Ahead of the 2nd IND-SA T20I, Chopra hinted the team management should look at promoting Rinku up the order, considering his proven ability to score runs when sent higher. "Are we being fair to Rinku? It's a very important question," Chopra said on his YouTube channel. He stressed that whenever Rinku has been sent up the order or had the opportunity to bat during powerplay, he has always delivered runs.
Chopra labels Rinku as a 'crisis man'
Further highlighting Rinku's potential, Chopra called him a 'crisis man.' He noted that Rinku has always scored half-centuries at amazing strike rates. "Why don't you send him at No. 4? What is the reason that you only send Rinku down the order, always at No. 6?" Chopra asked. He stressed that while Rinku can finish, he isn't just a finisher but knows how to drive the game forward.
