'Hope Selectors Won't Forget Rinku Singh': Sanjay Manjrekar Wants India to Pick 'Consistent' KKR Star for T20 World Cup

Rinku Singh shot to fame with a stunning show of six-hitting in the Indian Premier League as he made the finisher role his own in India’s T20 side. With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, his chances to perform for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2024 have not helped.

Rinku Singh has not yet managed to get to the three-figure mark this season, having scored 83 runs from six matches, though with an incredible strike rate of 162.75.

The star finisher though has not fielded and has often been used as an Impact Sub. when this reporter asked Rinku Singh at a press conference after KKR’s loss to Rajasthan Royals, about missing out on his fielding, he said: “I had a niggle, I will be back to playing the full match against RCB on Sunday.”

Stay updated with the latest from IPL 2024, including top contenders for the IPL 2024 Orange Cap and IPL 2024 Purple Cap. Explore the complete IPL 2024 Schedule, IPL 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours and Most Fifties in IPL 2024

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar though feels that Rinku should be “walking into” the Indian cricket team, come the T20 World Cup.

“Because he’s not getting many opportunities, I hope selectors won’t forget about Rinku Singh,” Manjrekar told Firstpost.

“He’s a straight walk-in into the Indian team. Every time he has got the opportunity, you’ve seen how good he can be, in the sense of his consistency and the range that he has. He’s somebody who I like, apart from the core of the Indian team, apart from the big names we are thinking about,” said Manjrekar.

Rinku has represented India in 15 T20Is, scoring 356 runs, staying not out in 7 games and at a strike rate of 176.23. In fact, Rinku has an average of 89 runs.

According to a report in the PTI, it is understood that one of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal might miss out on being named in India’s T20 World Cup squad. In case both proven performers are selected in the final 15, then only one among two finishers — KKR’s Rinku Singh and Chennai Super Kings’ Shivam Dube — will get the nod.

(With inputs from Agencies)