Rinku Singh knows when to pull the trigger, aspiring finishers can learn from him: Ruturaj Gaikwad

India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series after registering a 33-run win in the second encounter at the Malahide Cricket Club Ground in Dublin. The hosts' skipper Paul Stirling opted to bowl first, and the Irish bowlers were on the money, picking up two wickets inside the first five overs while keeping the scoring rate reasonably under control. However, Ruturaj Gaikwad (58 off 43) and Sanju Samson (40 off 26) laid the platform for the power-hitters like Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube with a 71-run partnership.

In his debut innings, Rinku took time to settle in before cutting loose in the death overs. He scored an enterprising 38 off just 21 balls with the help of two fours and three sixes. The southpaw showed maturity during his innings, as he didn't go after the bowling from the get-go. He scored 15 off his first 15 balls to get accustomed to the conditions before going berserk in an over from Barry McCarthy. The diminutive batter scored his last 23 runs off five balls before being dismissed by Mark Adair. Rinku's blitzkrieg helped India set a daunting target of 186 for the hosts.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is the vice-captain of the side, heaped praise on Rinku for knowing exactly when to accelerate his innings. The right-handed batter also asked aspiring finishers to learn from Rinku and opined that the match-winning knock will help the 25-year-old going forward.

“Rinku has already become everyone's favourite after this year's IPL. He showed a lot of maturity while batting this year in the IPL. One of the standout things about Rinku is that he doesn't attack from ball one. He always gives himself time. Whatever the situation is, he always assesses the condition, and then he goes on the attack mode,” Ruturaj said during the press conference after the second T20I.

“So, I think this is a good thing to learn for all the upcoming players or people who want to be a finisher. It's always important that you take some time, and then you can always cover up later. So, this year he has learned this skill well. He knows when to pull the trigger. He pulls the trigger at the right time. It was an important innings for him, as it was his debut. And I feel, this will help him a lot.”

The third and final T20I will be played at the same venue on Wednesday, August 23.