'He averages around 50 in Ranji Trophy too' - Ashish Nehra backs Rinku Singh's ODI call-up for South Africa series

Star Indian batter, Rinku Singh, has been in sensational form, consistently delivering match-winning performances for his IPL franchise, the Kolkata Knight Riders, and making significant contributions to the Indian cricket team as well.

His exceptional batting prowess has garnered praise from cricketing legends. Now, as Rinku earns a well-deserved call-up to the ODI series for the South Africa tour, former Indian left-arm pacer turned renowned commentator Ashish Nehra has shared his insights. Nehra believes that the selectors have recognized something special in the southpaw, instilling confidence in him for the upcoming series.

Rinku has played a crucial role for India in the T20I series against Australia, showcasing his ability to finish games with aggressive batting. His noteworthy performance included a quickfire 46 off 29 balls in the fourth match, contributing significantly to India's series victory with 20 runs. Throughout the series, Rinku displayed composure and powerful hitting, earning praise for his skill in closing out matches, exemplified by his unbeaten knocks of 22 and 31 in earlier games.

The consistent exhibition of talent in the T20I series has now earned Rinku a maiden call-up to the Indian ODI squad for the forthcoming South Africa tour, highlighting the selectors' confidence in his capacity to perform at the highest level.

Nehra, speaking to JioCinema, emphasized Rinku's commendable average in the Ranji Trophy and pointed out that the young batter efficiently fulfilled his role when asked to bat early in the 4th T20I.

“People know Rinku Singh because of T20 but don’t forget he averages around 50 in Ranji Trophy too,” Nehra said on JioCinema. “He’s been called up to for the one-day squad too. Selectors must’ve seen something. He came in to bat early today. We have seen him bat in the death overs a lot of times but the way he played today deserves appreciation. He batted the way team needed him. At one point, it looked they could make 190 but if India would’ve lost Rinku at that stage, scoring 160 would have become a challenge too.”

“It’s a big plus for India that they have selected him in 50-over format and today, he got a chance to bat early and he showed that (he can bat long),” said Nehra.