India's hard-hitting batter Rinku Singh is currently preparing for the upcoming Asia Cup, which is scheduled to start from September 9 in the UAE. The southpaw is currently leading the Meerut Mavericks in the ongoing third season of the UP T20 League (UPTL), where he is flexing his lethal form. He scored 372 runs in 11 games, including a century and a couple of fifties. Showcasing his hard-hitting skills, Rinku has smashed 24 sixes and 26 boundaries so far.
Rinku came into the limelight during IPL 2023, where he smashed five consecutive sixes against the Gujarat Titans (GT) to end the proceedings when his franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), needed 29 runs off five balls.
“Yes, people know me because of that match, and since then, expectations have gone up a lot. I’ve received so much love from everyone. After those five sixes, I got a different identity altogether — not just for myself, but for the whole of India. For me, it was a huge moment. The team needed 29 runs, and then five sixes came in a row," Rinku told Times of India.
“It was like a dream — these things don’t happen every day. It happened to me, and I’m thankful to the Almighty for that. All the hard work I had put in over the years felt rewarded in that one innings. In that moment, I felt God gave me everything," he added.
After getting a spot in India's Asia Cup 2025 squad, Rinku is set to lead Meerut in the UPTL final, against Kashi Rudras on September 6 at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
Team India will start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against the UAE on September 10 at the Dubai International Stadium. The tournament's high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan will also take place at the same venue on September 14.
India’s squad for Asia Cup: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Standby players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel