Ahead of the T20 Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement, Meerut Mavericks captain Rinku Singh let the ball do the talking. Rinku, who bowled a crucial over in Sri Lanka last year, introduced himself into the attack in the fourth over of Uttar Pradesh Premier League 2025 opener. Immediately, he got the wicket of the left-handed batter Adarsh Singh and celebrated in an aggressive manner.
On August 17, the opening match of was played between Meerut Mavericks and Kanpur Superstars at Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. Rinku did not get to bat as Meerut Mavericks’ three out of top four batters wreaked havoc.
Swastik Chikara struggled and scored just 19 runs from 27 balls. Opener Akshay Dubey scored 44 runs from 26 deliveries, including two fours and four sixes. Rituraj Sharma and Madhav Kaushik finished with a flourish. They shared an unbeaten 130-run partnership for the third wicket. Kaushik smashed seven sixes and 10 fours in his unbeaten 31-ball 95. On the other end, Rituraj remained not out for 60 off 36 balls, featuring four fours and as many sixes.
Kanpur Superstars collapse
In the run chase, Kanpur Superstars suffered a batting collapse. They lost half the side for 27 in the eighth over. Skipper Sameer Rizvi top-scored with 45 runs from 46 balls. Only two other batters managed to score in double digits. Tailenders prevented them from getting bowled out. Kanpur Superstars managed to post 139/9 and lost the match by 86 runs. Rinku bowled two overs, conceded 18 runs and claimed one wicket.
Rinku’s T20I form and numbers
Rinku was a part of India's T20I squad in the five-T20I series against England at home earlier this year. He played three out of five T20Is and registered scores of 30 and 29. His last T20I fifty came against Bangladesh in October 2024.
It is yet to be seen whether the 27-year-old retains his place in the side. From 33 T20Is, he has scored 546 runs at an average of 42, including three fifties. His strike rate is 161.06.
He was not at his best in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter scored 206 runs from 11 innings at an average of 29.42 and strike rate of 153.73.