Selection for the Asia Cup seems to have lifted Rinku Singh’s game to another level. The left-handed batter, now a permanent part of India’s T20 setup, is playing with the kind of freedom expected from a designated finisher. Just days after smashing a whirlwind 108 off 48 balls against Gorakhpur Lions, Rinku was back at it, this time hammering 57 from only 27 deliveries for Meerut Mavericks against Lucknow Falcons in the UP T20 League.
Walking in at No. 5 with his side wobbling at 73 for 3 in the 10th over, Rinku initially played cautiously against spin before launching a brutal assault on the pacers. He scored 46 runs off 21 balls against seam, finding boundaries with ease. Three fours and four towering sixes punctuated his knock, with 63 percent of his runs coming in boundaries. By the time he fell in the 18th over, Mavericks had already crossed 160 and finished at a commanding 233 for 4. Also, Rinku smashed Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Bhuvneshwar Kumar to three consecutive boundaries.
Rinku Singh’s stats at UPT20 League so far
- Runs: 199
- Matches: 7
- Innings: 5
- Highest Score: 108
- Average: 49.75
- Strike Rate: 177.68
- Centuries: 1
- Half Centuries: 1
- Fours: 13
- Sixes: 12
Rinku doing well provides a great headache for the Indian management going into the Asia Cup 2025. The top five looks well settled, with vice-captain Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya locked in. India cannot drop Axar Patel either, meaning only one spot is left open, and that too, of a wicket-keeper. Jitesh Sharma fills that role perfectly, meaning India cannot include Rinku in this scheme of planning. However, if India don’t drop Sanju Samson, Rinku can walk into the team perfectly.
Post IPL 2025, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s struggles continue
On the other end of the spectrum, it was a night to forget for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The veteran pacer, who was instrumental in RCB’s IPL 2025 title win earlier this year, leaked 49 runs in his four overs, including a staggering 29 in his final over.
Rituraj Sharma was the chief destroyer, smashing Bhuvneshwar for four boundaries and two sixes in that over. From being steady in his first three overs, the seamer completely lost his lengths in the death, allowing Mavericks to race past 200. In his first three overs, Bhuvi leaked just 20 runs. He went on to bowl the penultimate over but Rituraj won him over.
Bhuvneshwar’s dip in form has been alarming in this UP T20 season. With only four wickets in five matches and an economy rate above 8, there are shouts if he still has it in him.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Will Gambhir try Rishabh Pant or Nitish Reddy in IND vs SA 3rd ODI with series on the line?
Top Stories
