“He is somebody I’d call a left-handed Dhoni” – Ravichandran Ashwin praises Rinku Singh for his batting

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently praised Rinku Singh, likening him to a ‘left-handed Dhoni’ for his composed batting in challenging situations. Ashwin clarified that while Rinku’s style is distinct, his calm demeanor at the crease has earned admiration. Following an impressive IPL 2023 season, Rinku secured a spot in India’s T20I squad, showcasing his finishing skills.

His notable performance in the third T20I against Afghanistan, scoring an unbeaten 69 off 39 balls, played a crucial role in rescuing India from a precarious 22 for 4. Collaborating with captain Rohit Sharma, Rinku contributed to an unbeaten 190-run partnership for the fifth wicket, establishing his impact on the international stage.

Ashwin said “He is somebody I’d call a left-handed Dhoni. I can’t compare him to Dhoni just yet because Dhoni is too big. But, I am talking about the composure that he brings. He has been consistently scoring buckets of runs for UP and broke his way into the Indian team. He was on the KKR bench for many years. People used to tell me that, when he was at KKR, even though he couldn’t get the chance to bat at practice, he collected all the balls that batters hit in throwdowns and gave them back to the bowler.”

“Since then, he has been with the franchise for so long, put in the hard work for UP and showed that he’s always available to get to the Indian team out of a tricky situation or finish an innings. The composure doesn’t change whether the team is batting first or chasing. His composure towards the back end of the innings is a bonus.”