As the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee gears up to announce India's squad for the Asia Cup T20 on Tuesday, tough decisions are on the horizon. One
of the most intriguing talking points surrounds the fate of Rinku Singh, once celebrated as India's next big finisher, whose position in the 15-member squad now appears uncertain.
Rinku rose to fame with his sensational finishing ability in the IPL, none more iconic than the five consecutive sixes he smashed against Yash Dayal to win Kolkata Knight Riders a match.
That moment catapulted him into the spotlight, earning him a place in India's T20 setup. But since missing out on a berth in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad (he was only on standby), his career graph has dipped.
The signs were evident in back-to-back IPL seasons. In 2024, Rinku faced only 113 deliveries, and this year, that tally marginally improved to 134 balls. Under Gautam Gambhir's mentorship at KKR, his role was sharply curtailed, signaling a shift in team strategy.
Now, with competition for batting spots intensifying, his inclusion is far from guaranteed. The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, skipper Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya are being viewed as automatic picks in the top order. Add Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal to the mix, and the selectors face a real conundrum.
"We often hear people saying, one should pick so and so but no one would be able to definitively tell us 'in place of whom'? Shreyas Iyer has 600 runs at a strike-rate of 180 but he bats in top four. Where is the place for him. Even as you include Shubman as he is flavour of the season, where do you cut corners," a former national selector told PTI.
The former selector further noted, "You can't disturb your top five right now and also pick Shubman. I only see Rinku's spot being iffy as he isn't required as much as some of the top order batters. And mind it, we aren't even talking about Jaiswal. "
With Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma offering multi-dimensional skills - bowling and wicketkeeping respectively - Rinku's role as a one-dimensional finisher may no longer fit India's plans, making his Asia Cup spot precarious.
