‘Rinku-mania has begun’: Dublin crowd bursts into Rinku chants, fans hails India star’s crazy acceleration in 2nd T20I
It was an innings worth the wait for Rinku Singh, as the left-handed batter produced a scintillating batting performance during the second T20I of the series against Ireland on Sunday. Rinku, who had made his debut in the first game but didn’t bat as rain played spoilsport on Friday, was sent at no.5 in the order in the second game, and even as he started slow, the left-handed showed his insane power-hitting skills, accelerating from 15* (15) to 38 within the next six balls.
Rinku Singh in action during the second T20I vs Ireland(BCCI)
Thanks to Rinku’s explosive finish, India ended their first innings on a strong 185/5 in Dublin. He smashed two fours and three sixes en route to his knock. And even as he appeared in his maiden innings in international cricket, it was clear Rinku was a crowd favourite as the fans burst into chants of his name as soon as he smashed his first six in the 19th over.
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The left-handed Uttar Pradesh batter became a household name during the 2023 Indian Premier League where Rinku, representing the Kolkata Knight Riders, smashed five sixes in a row during a thrilling final over finish against defending champions Gujarat Titans, securing a three-wicket win for the visitors in Ahmedabad. Rinku enjoyed an impressive outing throughout the IPL season, ending at 474 runs in 14 matches for the side.
And so, as Rinku remained undeterred with the pressure of appearing in his debut international innings and continued with his nonchalant, aggressive display with the bat, the fans lauded the left-hander.
Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad (58) and Sanju Samson (40) played important knocks for the side after Yashasvi Jaiswal (18) and Tilak Varma (1) were dismissed in quick succession early in the innings. With India at 35 for 2, the team was in search of both stability and acceleration, and the equilibrium was achieved by the partnership of Samson and Gaikwad for the third wicket.
The duo combined forces, amassing a crucial 71-run stand that propelled India beyond the 100-run mark by the 12th over.
Samson, who has been the subject of criticism due to inconsistency as India are set to announce their squad for the Asia Cup 2023, orchestrated a composed innings. He notched up a valuable 40 runs from 26 deliveries, a compact effort that featured five boundaries and a six.
