'He will get his opportunity': Skipper KL Rahul hints at Rinku Singh's ODI debut in South Africa

NEW DELHI: Rinku Singh's meteoric rise at the international level is something cricket pundits have been in awe of and skipper KL Rahul too showered praise on the emerging 'finisher', hinting at his inclusion in the XI in the ODI series opener against South Africa on Sunday.

After his heroics in the IPL, Rinku has been the player to watch out for in India's T20I set-up, averaging over 65 in 12 games.

In the 50-over format as well in the domestic circuit, the 26-year-old boasts of an average of nearly 50 for UP and Central Zone.

On the eve of the first ODI, when Rahul was asked about Rinku's ODI debut, the skipper didn't beat around the bush, pointing out that the left-hander would fit in as No.5 or 6 in future ODI set-up.

"Yeah, I think so," Rahul said.

"He has shown what a really good player he is. We all knew watching him in the IPL that he is very skilled but what's good to see is the temperament he has shown in the T20 series, game awareness, calmness under pressure. It was very refreshing for me to see on TV. I just spoke to him about it as well," Rahul said.

"In the ODI format as well, he has performed across formats in first class cricket and so yes he will get his opportunity in ODI series."

The skipper was equally ecstatic while speaking about another rookie batter -- opener B Sai Sudharsan, who is also tipped for senior debut in this series -- but also reminded that all newcomers might not get an opportunity to showcase their skills.

"He (Sai) is very exciting. There are a lot of new players in the team, it might be difficult to give all of them an opportunity but a lot of them will get their opportunities. We have to make sure they are in the right frame of mind and do what they have been doing at first-class level. They don't need to reinvent anything.

"Sai, I have seen a few games in the IPL as well. Looks like a terrific batter who plays both pace and spin really well and is eager to get his opportunity."




(With inputs from PTI)


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