Rinku Singh was named India’s designated finisher in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) by the Indian Premier League (IPL), but it may now also decide his destiny in the run-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup. It’s like walking a tightrope without a net when you’re a finisher. Even if “inconsistency” is a part of the job, the batter for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cannot afford to make too many mistakes in the 2025 Indian Premier League, and he is responsible for his own mistakes.
One of the most difficult tasks in cricket is finishing games in the 20-over format. There are only a few balls to change the outcome in your team’s favor; there is no time to settle and no second chances. And the left-hander has previously accepted that pressure, which is why Rinku Singh is where he is. But things haven’t gone as he would have liked over the past 12 months or so.
Yes, Rinku Singh excelled at T20 cricket from 2021 to 2023, scoring 1,512 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 153.3 in 47 innings, most of which came while batting at No. 5 or below. Rinku played for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy during this time, averaging 60.2 and hitting 147.9.
Rinku Singh had consecutive incredible seasons for KKR even in the IPL, scoring 648 runs with a strike rate of 149.3 and an average of nearly 50 runs across 21 innings. The 27-year-old won a lot of games that KKR and UP shouldn’t have. Rinku was dominating every task that was put in front of him, whether it was defeating Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj in several games or hitting Yash Dayal for five straight sixes in the 20th over.
Everyone wanted to see if Rinku could perform similarly at a higher level, and guess what? The quiet and perpetually cheerful Aligarh hitter adapted to international cricket like a glove. Rinku amassed 416 runs at 83.2 and a strike rate of 176.3 in his first 15 Twenty20 International innings for India. In death overs, Rinku was operating at a strike rate of 213.49.
In white-ball cricket, it appeared like India had at last discovered a dependable finisher who could not only routinely clear the ropes in the last overs but also had the cunning to read and adjust to match circumstances when necessary.
Rinku Singh had a good life until the IPL 2024, when his form suffered greatly.
Rinku Singh was only able to score 168 runs in 11 innings at an average of 18.67 and a strike rate of 148.7, but the Knight Riders finally won an IPL title after a decade. The only frontline KKR batsman with an average below 20 was the left-hander. Rinku came out to bat before the 13th over began in six of the eleven innings, but he never once reached the 30-run mark.
He made two cameos against the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), scoring 26 off 8 and 20* off 9, respectively, which contributed significantly to his strike rate of 148.7. Rinku Singh strike rate, excluding those two knocks, was 127.08, which is not good if you are your team’s finisher.
In the IPL 2024, he had a strike rate of just 115.15 against the opposition’s spin bowlers, who kept him quiet. Rinku Singh got out to pacers eight times while hitting them at 162.5 on average. Additionally, seamers bowling pace-off deliveries were responsible for half of those dismissals. Rinku also had trouble last season against short deliveries and back of a length (four dismissals in 32 balls, strike rate 100).
Despite having incredible numbers in Twenty20 Internationals, Rinku Singh was left out of the main team when India’s selection for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 was revealed during the 2024 Indian Premier League. Rinku was left out of the playing XI due to the circumstances in the USA and the West Indies, according to Indian captain Rohit Sharma and the team management, who stated that they wanted three all-rounders.
Although Rohit’s justification was reasonable, Rinku’s lackluster IPL 2024 performance undoubtedly had a part in his exclusion from the World Cup, which India won handily without dropping a single game. However, Rinku was always going to be called back into the lineup following the ICC event because of his prior performances for the Men in Blue, and that is exactly what transpired.
But Rinku Singh shape remained the same. The 27-year-old has amassed 190 runs at a strike rate of 138.7 and an average of 21.11 in his past 18 Twenty20 Internationals. Rinku Singh is hitting at less than 100 in 10 innings (against Sri Lanka, South Africa, and England) and averaging JUST 6.9 if we exclude the series against lower-ranked teams like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. It’s also a respectable sample size.
Rinku Singh is having the same issue in T20Is as he did in the 2024 Indian Premier League. He has always had a poor strike rate against spin, but in the past, he was able to conceal his difficulties against slower bowlers by controlling pace. He has been less efficient in death overs over the past 12 months as a result of fast bowlers constantly hitting him with short stuff.
It is difficult to finish games, but it is even more difficult to compete for slots in Indian cricket, particularly if you are not providing a variety of skill sets. India cannot utilize Rinku in the middle overs since he is a pure batter and struggles against spin. In any case, players like Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma already fill out India’s middle order.
Hardik Pandya will always be a finisher, but Rinku’s position may be in doubt if the IPL has another bad season. One player who has already participated in a few Twenty20 Internationals is Ramandeep Singh. In addition to being a superb defender like Rinku, the 27-year-old can bowl at a moderate tempo. It will be hard to overlook Nitish Kumar Reddy and Riyan Parag’s all-around abilities, and Shashank Singh can establish himself with another strong IPL season.
In light of Rinku Singh recent difficulties, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has made it plain that form will be the main factor considered when choosing the team for the Twenty20 Internationals. Like KKR, who made Rinku their top retention before the IPL 2025 big auction, the Indian team management would support him more because of his role and prior contributions.
A dismal IPL 2025 could force the selectors to seek elsewhere, though, since the rumors are growing louder with each setback. Rinku Singh will make it plain that he isn’t going anywhere and will do everything in his power to silence his detractors.
India
