Rinku Singh got nine runs off eight balls in the IPL 2024 match against the Mumbai Indians on Friday at Wankhede Stadium.
Rinku Singh, who had been trained by team management since the 2023 Indian Premier League for the finisher’s position, was one of the most notable omissions from India’s T20 World Cup 2024 roster. However, with India searching for an extra spinner for the ICC event, Rinku had to pay the price, infuriating analysts and seasoned players.
Rinku got an opportunity to prove selectors wrong on Friday, the day after he had a brief discussion with India captain Rohit Sharma at the Wankhede Stadium during preparations for the IPL 2024 match between the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. And, with the visitors battling against the Mumbai assault, the KKR star had an opportunity to go four down within the powerplay.
Rinku started on a positive note, smashing Hardik Pandya for two boundaries in three balls. However, Piyush Chawla removed the left-handed batsman in his first ball when he took on the wrong’un a little too early in pursuit of a fast single, resulting in a fake shot and chipping it back to the bowler. The dismissal left KKR coach Gautam Gambhir furious in the dugout.
“The most difficult decision was not selecting Rinku Singh.”
Speaking to the media on Thursday at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, chief selector Ajit Agarkar admitted that omitting Rinku from the T20 World Cup roster was the most difficult decision for the selectors. He added that the reason Rinku missed the cut was due to getting the combination perfect in the bowling unit.
“(Not choosing Rinku Singh) is the most difficult issue we have to address. Rinku has done nothing wrong, and neither has Shubman Gill. It’s about the pairings. We’re not sure about the circumstances. We wanted to have enough (bowling) alternatives. We have chosen Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav as wrist spinners to provide Rohit with additional choices.
Axar (Patel) is a bowling all-rounder. “It is just unfortunate,” Agarkar explained.
Rinku has been included on the T20 World Cup reserve list, along with Shubman Gill, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed.
“I do not believe it has anything to do with him. Rinku Singh’s wasted opportunity is not his fault. With two keepers who are both excellent batters, there is already one extra batter sitting. So we considered providing an additional bowling option. Rinku is a travelling reserve; given how close he came, it’s a little difficult for him, but at the end of the day, you can only choose 15,” Agarkar remarked.
