Ambati Rayudu See NO Logic In Dropping Rinku Singh From T20 World Cup 2024 Squad, Says 'Cricketing Ability Should Come Before Instagram Likeability'

Rinku Singh has been a phenomenal player for India in the T20Is. He could have been a great addition to the playing 11 as a finisher. But Agarkar and Co have another ideas.

Rinku Singh and Ambati Rayudu. (Source: X)

After India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad was announced on Tuesday, many reactions have poured in on social media. Many of these have to do with the fact that India's best finisher in the last one year in the T20Is, Rinku Singh, has faced a snub and won't be playing the tournament. Rinku is going to the World Cup as a reserve player. He will be available for selection if a player is ruled out of the competition, depending upon who the team needs at that moment in terms of skillset. Rinku has played 15 T20Is for India and has done exceedingly well, especiall y in the overs 16 to 20.

The reason Rinku does not find any place in India squad is that Virat Kohli has made a comeback and selectors want Yuzvendra Chahal as the fourth-spin option. Rishabh Pant has been preferred as the first-choice keeper which is quite baffling considering he has not played any international cricket, forget T20Is, in last 1.5 years. Selectors have gone for backup keeper, backup spinner and two fast bowling all-rounders in Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube while two veterans - Rohit and Kohli - are also in. That is why an able player in Rinku has been denied a place. 

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu has slammed Rinku's omission, saying that it indicates stats and Instagram likeability rule over cricketing sense. "Rinku Singh’s omission clearly indicates stats rule over cricketing sense.. who in this selected Indian has been walking out in the 16 th and 17 th over in a t20 game in the last 2 years and playing fluently with a high strike rate and can win a game except Ravindra Jadeja.. he is a big miss.. quality should come before quantity and most importantly cricketing ability should come before likability on Instagram," said Rayudu.

Rayudu himself was a victim of bad selection at the 2019 ODI World Cup. After batting regularly for India close to two yeas at number 4 spot, Vijay Shankar was named in his place. The then chief selector MSK Prasad had defended the decision by saying that Shankar was a 3D player as he bowled, batted and fielded. Taking a pot shot at Prasad in a tweet, Rayudu had written: "Just Ordered a new set of 3d glasses to watch the world cup."