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.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.