Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Former Indian cricket team fast bowler Ashish Nehra was all praise for Rinku Singh following his tremendous form in the ongoing T20I series against Australia. Rinku proved his mettle as a finisher for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and he was brilliant in the second T20I match as he slammed 31 off just 9 deliveries. Nehra called Rinku a major asset for the Indian cricket team and said that although he is restricted to T20I cricket right now, a consistent showing may find the explosive left-handed batter a place in the team for ODI cricket as well.
“This is not the first time he has done it. We all have been discussing his role, his power. Not just about his batting, even with the way he throws himself on the field, it shows he is a great team man. He will be a great asset to Indian cricket. Yes, we are talking only about T20 cricket, but who knows tomorrow he can also be playing ODI cricket,” Nehra said on JioCinema.
Nehra also emphasised on the fact that he is not a big fan of the word ‘finisher’ and explained that Rinku can even play at No. 4 or 5 if he can improve his game.
“I am not a big fan of the word ‘finisher’. Your opener can be a finisher, if he scores a hundred, he can finish the game and come back. At times, it can be harsh. Let me give you an example, if the same Rinku Singh doesn’t finish the game once or twice. Coming back to Rinku Singh, he is someone who can even play up the order, I can see him playing in 50-over cricket going forward. He can bat at No. 4, No. 5 or No. 6,” Nehra explained.
“On any odd day, the Indian team can be 40 for 4 in 5-6 overs. And I hope Rinku Singh is ready to play any role, I hope he doesn’t want to be tagged himself as a finisher. He should be looking to excel in all departments,” he added.
