After India’s second T20I against Bangladesh in Delhi on October 9, Rinku Singh mentioned that discussions with former captain MS Dhoni have helped him stay composed in challenging situations. Following a dominant performance in the first T20I in Gwalior, India found themselves in early trouble at 41/3 in the sixth over of the second match when Rinku came to bat.
The 26-year-old remained calm and, alongside Nitish Reddy, forged a pivotal 108-run partnership off 48 balls for the fourth wicket, rescuing India. Rinku finished with 53 runs from 29 balls, including five fours and three sixes, helping India set a formidable total of 221/9 in their 20 overs.
During the post-match presentation, Rinku discussed his important innings, stating (as reported by Cricbuzz):
“I keep telling myself to remain calm in tough situations. It comes naturally to me as I have been playing at this position for a long time. I practise accordingly as well. I have talked a lot regarding this with Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) which has helped. When you lose 3-4 wickets, you need to have self belief.”
He added:
“We ((partnership with Nitish Kumar) just wanted to build a partnership as the wicket was slightly slow, rotate strike and punish the bad balls. The momentum swung after that free-hit (off Mahmudullah) and Nitish gained a lot of confidence.”
While Nitish scored 74 runs off 34 balls in just his second match for India, Rinku Singh’s half-century marked his third in T20Is. The left-handed batsman boasts an impressive average of 58.87 in 25 T20I matches, with a strike rate of 175.09.
Rinku Singh’s brilliance drives India to a commanding series win
After Rinku Singh and Nitish Reddy’s explosive performance, the Indian bowlers dismantled the Bangladesh batting order in the second innings. The visitors started strong at 20/0 in the third over until Arshdeep Singh’s breakthrough opened the floodgates. From that point on, India dominated, reducing Bangladesh to a dismal 46/4 by the seventh over.
A brief partnership between Mahmudullah and Mehidy Hasan offered Bangladesh some hope, but a series of quick wickets sealed their fate.
Ultimately, India limited Bangladesh to 135/9 in 20 overs, securing an emphatic 86-run victory. With this win, India took an unassailable 2-0 series lead and will aim for a clean sweep in the final T20I in Hyderabad on Saturday, October 12.
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