“When he came to play for UP at the start, I didn’t think he would have such a big impact on cricket” – RP Singh on Rinku Singh after 2nd T20I vs BAN

Former Indian fast bowler RP Singh said he didn’t think Rinku Singh would make such an impact when he burst onto the scene for Uttar Pradesh. Singh has impressed in his young career and has shown the skills to go a long way in his career.

The left-hander has scored 471 runs in 25 T20I matches at an average of 58.88 and a strike rate of 175.09. Singh scored a fine knock of 53 runs off just 29 balls in the second T20I against Bangladesh, which India won convincingly by 86 runs to take an impregnable lead of 2-0 in the series. The 26-year-old from Aligarh scored five fours and three maximums in his fine knock.

The left-hander batted at number five and joined forces with Nitish Kumar Reddy when India was reeling at 41-3 after 5.3 overs. Singh added a fine alliance of 108 runs off just 51 balls with Reddy, who scored a match-winning knock of 74 runs off only 34 balls. Thus, India posted a par score of 221 runs after Shanto decided to bowl first.

The southpaw scored his third T20I fifty and reached the personal milestone off just 26 balls.

“When he became a part of the UP team at the start, firstly it’s not easy to play for the UP team, and playing and giving performances is even more difficult. You need to be slightly mentally tough because it’s a big state and has a lot of players,” RP Singh said on Colors Cineplex.

“To be honest, when he came to play for UP at the start, I didn’t think he would have such a big impact on cricket. I knew he was a very gritty player, fields very well, puts in the effort all the time, and tries to play big innings,” the former India pacer added.

RP, who had a smooth action during his playing career, said Rinku has shown a remarkable career.

“He had the ability but I always felt that he would take time to improve against pace bowling. However, he kept raising the bar and came here after becoming a different player. He worked very hard. He is extremely dedicated and disciplined in his life,” he observed.

RP added that the left-hander picks his bowlers after getting settled at the crease.

“I spoke to him when I was covering some matches in Dehradun. He won two back-to-back matches for UP. I asked him how he planned his innings. He told me that he tries to play at a run-a-ball at the start. Once he gets adjusted to the pace and bounce of the wicket, he picks his bowlers,” he said.

The third T20I of the series will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Saturday.