Rinku Singh will lead Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, but he is not overthinking about the captaincy of Kolkata Knight Riders in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). This leadership role comes at a time when Rinku's IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has yet to announce their captain for the next season.
Rinku will captain a state team at the senior level for the first time. Earlier this year, he led the Meerut Mavericks to victory in the UPT20 League, scoring 210 runs in nine innings with a strike rate of 161.54, primarily as a finisher. He has been a part of the KKR setup since 2018 and was retained ahead of the mega auction in November, along with Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, and Ramandeep Singh.
"I am not overthinking about the captaincy of KKR in the new IPL season," Rinku was quoted saying to ESPN Cricinfo. "I am focused on my plans for Uttar Pradesh, as I want my team to regain the trophy we had won for the first time in 2015-16."
Rinku revealed his efforts to become a more versatile cricketer, citing his attempts at bowling off spin during the UPT20 league. "I did try my hand at bowling [offspin] too at the UPT20 league. Present-day cricket demands a full package - a cricketer who can bat, bowl and field. Now I am focusing on my bowling too. As captain of Uttar Pradesh, I have got a bigger role to play, and I'm ready for this."
The Vijay Hazare Trophy presents a crucial opportunity for players aiming to make an impression on national selectors, particularly with the Champions Trophy scheduled for February. While Rinku has become a regular feature in India’s T20I squad, his ODI appearances remain limited to two matches since his debut in South Africa last year.
Rinku’s List A statistics underline his potential: he has amassed 1,899 runs in 52 innings at an impressive average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 94.8. His record includes one century and 17 half-centuries. Despite these achievements, Rinku remains grounded. "I believe in God," he said. "I didn't even think of being part of team India when I struck five consecutive sixes in the IPL last year. That turned out to be the biggest game changer in my life. Even now I feel that if God has decided something for me, I will get that surely. But at the same time, I also need to work hard on my job." Read More
This article is referenced from
https://www.indiatoday.in/
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