:Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels Rinku Singh’s selection in the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup should be a no-brainer for the selectors. The BCCI is expected to announce India’s 15-man squad later this month, with the deadline to name the teams on May 1. As a result, the selectors are keeping a close eye on the players’ form in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While it is highly unlikely that the BCCI will select any new IPL performers, India’s final squad might still throw in a few surprises.
Amid the ongoing debate regarding Team India’s selection for the showpiece event, Manjrekar hoped that the selectors won’t forget Rinku and pick him in the 15-man probables.
“Because he’s not getting many opportunities, I hope selectors won’t forget about Rinku Singh. He’s a straight walk-in into the Indian team. Every time he has got the opportunity, you’ve seen how good he can be, in the sense of his consistency and the range that he has. He’s somebody who I like, apart from the core of the Indian team, apart from the big names we are thinking about,” Manjrekar told Firstpost.
Rinku made his India debut in a T20I against Ireland in 2023. So far, he has scored 356 runs in 15 T20Is with a strike rate of 176.23. The left-handed batsman has been a revelation for Team India, as far as his finishing is concerned.
Even in the ongoing season of IPL, Rinku has managed to give KKR an extra push with his batting in death overs.
India’s probable squad for T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh