Former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis - one of the greatest players in cricket history - has backed Rinku Singh to be India's finisher at No. 6 in T20Is, praising the southpaw's skillset, temperament, and shot selection.
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Rinku shot to limelight in IPL 2023 when he scored five consecutive sixes in the final over of the game between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Gujarat Titans (GT) to help his side to victory in a seemingly impossible run chase.
The 26-year-old scored 474 runs averaging 59.25 in IPL 2023. He was rewarded with a debut in the T20I series against Ireland in August.
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Jacques Kallis backs Rinku Singh to become India's undisputed finisher in T20Is
Kallis appeared on the pre-match show on Star Sports ahead of the 1st T20I between India and South Africa in Durban, which was washed out without a single ball being bowled.
Kallis, who himself played for KKR in the IPL, lauded Rinku and claimed that he should become a regular in the T20I side for India.
He's a class act. You know, as we've seen over the last few months, what he's done for India. Finishing games. It's not just silly cricket. It's a real good cricketing shots when it needs to be. He can attack when he needs to do that towards the back end of an innings.
So you know the ideal batter to be batting at number six. Along with the rest, the team, that's a formidable finishing to an innings. In case one doesn't come off, you know, you've got a few others that can step up and do it. So for me, Rinku should be the number six and given a proper opportunity.
Should Rinku Singh become India's No. 6 in T20Is moving forward?
Rinku has played just 10 T20Is for India, out of which he got a chance to bat in just six of them. In those six innings, Rinku has scored 180 runs and faced 96 balls, striking at 187.50 and at an average of 60.
While the sample size is small, Rinku provides something no other batsman currently does. He is an exceptional hitter of the ball and there's enough proof that he's got ice in his veins as shown by his ridiculous temperament during the death overs. Being a left-hander, Rinku is a breath of fresh air in a middle order otherwise dominated by right-handed batsmen (Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya).
Having Rinku at No. 6 also allows India to play Hardik Pandya (his injury notwithstanding) at No.5. The Indian vice-captain has played higher up the order for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, moving away from the archetypal finishing role that helped him make a name for himself during his initial years.
With India set to play just five more T20Is before the Twenty20 World Cup, Rinku should be the undisputed No. 6 for India in all those five games.
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