Kolkata Knight Riders‘ (KKR) rising star, Rinku Singh, has been named in India’s squad for the upcoming 19th Asian Games 2023, marking his first call-up to the national team. The 25-year-old talented batsman was selected among the 15-member squad for the T20 tournament, scheduled to be held from September 28 to October 8.
This inclusion comes after Rinku was overlooked for the five-match T20I series against West Indies, leaving many surprised and raising questions. Expressing his excitement and gratitude, Rinku shared KKR’s post of him wearing the Indian jersey on social media and reacted with a ‘Nazar Amulet’ emoji.
The Aligarh-born cricketer has been a revelation with the bat for KKR in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He burst into the limelight during the IPL 2022 season. He scored an impressive 174 runs in just seven matches with a strike rate of 149.53.
In the following season, Rinku continued his outstanding form by accumulating 474 runs in 14 games, including four half-centuries, at a strike rate of 149.53. He even played a memorable innings in T20 tournament history by chasing down 28 runs off just five balls against Gujarat Titans (GT). Throughout the season, he consistently performed for the Knight Riders.
Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead India’s team in the 19th Asian Games, with Rinku Singh included in the squad
Finally, it’s Rinku time! ⚡️
The KKR and Uttar Pradhesh batter has earned a well-deserved maiden call-up to the Indian team for the upcoming Asian Games 2023 🏏🇮🇳#AsianGames2023 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/kVSbtNtf0r
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) July 14, 2023
In T20 matches overall, Rinku has amassed 1,768 runs in 89 games, featuring 10 half-centuries. Recently, he played for the Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy, where he contributed 40 runs off 30 balls against the West Zone.
Rinku Singh’s selection is part of a second-string Indian squad chosen for the Asian Games, as the senior men’s team will be busy preparing for the 2023 ODI World Cup. Ruturaj Gaikwad has been appointed as the captain of the team, and alongside Rinku, several other notable performers from the IPL have earned a place in the national squad.
NEWS 🚨- Team India (Senior Men) squad for 19th Asian Games: Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Shivam Mavi, Shivam…
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 14, 2023
India Squad For The Asian Games 2023
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Mukesh Kumar Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Mavi, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Dube, Prabhsimran Singh.
Additionally, there is a standby list of players consisting of Yash Thakur, Sai Kishore, Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Hooda, and Sai Sudharsan.
It is worth noting that the selection of a second-string squad allows the senior men’s team to focus on their preparations for the 2023 ODI World Cup, which will be held in India from October 5 to November 19. Rinku Singh’s maiden call-up to the national squad is a testament to his exceptional performances in the IPL.
It will be interesting to see how he manages to perform.
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