Abhishek Nayar, a renowned former cricketer, has recently commended Rinku Singh for his exceptional skills in finishing games, highlighting his crucial role in India's thrilling victory over Australia in the opening T20I match on Thursday, November 23, in Visakhapatnam. Singh's unbeaten performance, scoring 22 runs from just 14 deliveries, including four boundaries, was pivotal in India successfully chasing a daunting target of 209, clinching the win with just a ball to spare.
"It takes a lot of character. We speak about someone, who has done it in the IPL and domestic cricket. Just to see Rinku hold his nerve and to have the have the composure shows that he has grown leaps and bounds," Nayar was quoted as saying on Jio Cinemas.
"It's the third time he has done this for India, the third time India needed him to do something special and he turned up. He hasn't played international cricket for 5-7 years, but has the maturity and skillet of someone who has played that long," he stated.
Nayar, an experienced figure in cricket, extolled Rinku Singh's impressive display of character and maturity, despite his relatively brief tenure in international cricket. He noted that Singh's composure and skill mirror those of a seasoned international player. This has led Nayar to confidently assert that India has discovered a new 'finisher' in Rinku Singh, a role previously fulfilled by cricket luminaries like MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya for the national team.
"It tells you that he has mastered the art of finishing an innings. It's not easy and it's been a while that Hardik and MS Dhoni did that for us, but post that, there's no one, who has played the finisher's role so well. It's not just the runs he gets, but the way he gets them. There is a certain calm and composure about the way he's playing his cricket," Nayar added.
The significance of Singh's performance is further underscored by the context of the match. This win has given India a head start in the five-match series, now leading 1-0. The next encounter in this series is scheduled for Sunday, November 26, at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Rinku Singh's emergence as a reliable finisher adds a new dimension to the Indian cricket team, enhancing their capabilities in high-pressure situations and fortifying their batting lineup. With this newfound asset, the team's prospects in the ongoing series and future matches appear more promising.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
CSK release statement on Ben Stokes's future ahead of IPL 2024 mini-auction
