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On return to India team, Rinku proves his worth
Hindustan Times Pune
|January 23, 2026
Rinku Singh wasn’t an automatic pick for the upcoming World Cup.
Rinku Singh plays a shot during the first T20I.
(PTI)
He benefited from being part of a late pivot by the selectors that saw Shubman Gill going out of the squad for Sanju Samson. Ishan Kishan, who bats in the top order came in as a wicket-keeping backup, pushing Jitesh Sharma, the designated finisher out. Rinku over Jitesh, therefore, was more of a cause-effect selection.But on Wednesday night in Nagpur, the pocket dynamo from Aligarh showed why he should have perhaps always been part of Plan A.
Walking in at No 7 against New Zealand, Rinku scored 44 of India’s 72 runs in the final 6.2 overs. The others around him could manage only 28 (18b). The left-hander’s final flourish took New Zealand's target from difficult to very difficult territory. Often it becomes the decisive difference. So it was proved in Nagpur.
This story is from the January 23, 2026 edition of Hindustan Times Pune.
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