EXPLAINED: Why Rinku Singh Was Not Selected For T20Is Vs West Indies Despite Good Show In IPL 2023

India T20 squad for West Indies was announced on Wednesday. The team will be led by Hardik Pandya. The absence of Rinku Singh in the squad has hurt many fans. We explain the possible reasons for selectors not picking KKR batter.

Source: Twitter

After the India squad for thw T20Is vs West Indies was announced, the fans were quite upset with the fact that the name of Rinku Singh was missing from it. India are set to play 5 T20Is against West Indies from August 3 to 13 in Caribbean islands and USA. It was expected that Rinku will get his maiden national call-up after a terrific Indian Premier Legaue (IPL 2023). The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter smashed 474 runs in 14 innings in 2023 edition. What made everyone take notice of was Rinku’s ability to finih matches. His five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal to win an impossible match for KKR is still fresh in the memories of fans. Rinku could be a great T20 asset in times to come for India. However, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel in BCCI does not think so as yet. But why is it so? We try to look at the squad to find out the answer?

Why has Rinku Singh given a snub?

A look at the T20 squad will tell you that there are enough left-handers already in the lineup. Two battling for the opening slot- Ishan Kishan and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Second in the middle order, where there is a likelihood of Tilak Varma playing. Not to forget, Ishan is a floater and can even play in the middle order. He has done it effectively in IPL for Mumbai Indians. That means the selectors had to take a call between picking Tilak and Rinku. They green signalled Tilak’s name for he has been performing consistently in IPL and domestic cricket. Tilak was MI’s highest run-scorer in IPL 2022, scoring 397 runs in 14 matches. The selectors have, rightly, decided to give Tilak the chance first and Rinku will have to wait for sometime. 

India's T20I squad: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (VC), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (C), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar. — BCCI (@BCCI) July 5, 2023

Fans are also arguing why Sanju Samson in the T20 squad. Sanju does not have a great T20I record. But it is also true that the Rajasthan Royals captain has not gone a long rope. It is time he gets ample number of chances before the next T20 World Cup. Additionally, Sanju is an experienced T20 batter now, who now captains an IPL team. His inputs could be beneficial for Hardik Pandya, who wants him in the squad. Also, Sanju has a different skillset than Rinku. While Rinku is a pure batter, Sanju is a wicketkeeper and batter. He comes in the squad to fill in the same requirement.