Former National selector Saba Karim applauded young batter Rinku Singh as “the find ” of the recently concluded T20I series against Ireland as well. Team India won the series by 2-0, with the final game getting abandoned due to rain. And, in his debut series, Rinku batted only once — in the second T20I — but played a game-winning knock of 38 from 21 deliveries, including two 4s and three 6s.
Speaking to Jio Cinema after the Ireland series, Saba Karim said, “Rinku Singh’s transition from a domestic cricketer to an international cricketer – that for me is the find of this tour. Lots of positives here. Top of my mind, it has to be Rinku Singh – the way he has been able to understand the conditions and the demands of the international game.”
However, playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, Rinku scored 474 runs at an average of 59.25 and a 149.53 strike rate. He also showed plenty of glimpses as a potential finisher for the Men in Blue as well.
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“The way he was able to play such a stable innings, that is the way that he has played not only in IPL but also in domestic matches. Good to see that he did not need to change his game plan at all. Good to see not to see him flustered. And that is a huge positive for me,” again said Saba Karim.
Meanwhile, he also believes that Tilak Varma will do well in ODI cricket without much difficulty. However, the youngster was a surprise inclusion in the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, considering that he is yet to make his debut. But, Saba added that performance in T20 cricket can certainly be considered while selecting the team for the ODI squad. Notably, Tilak Varma made his List A debut in 2019 and has since played 25 matches, scoring 1236 runs at an average of 56.18 and a strike rate of 101.64.
“At times, the selectors and the team management can back a player after what they have seen in the ground. There’s no harm in picking a player from T20 format to One-day format. One should also not forget that Tilak has had some kind of experience in List A matches. He has played about 12-15 (25) games and averages about 50 which means he knows what to do in one-day cricket. For him to transition from T20 to one-day cricket should not take too long because of the experience he has had. At times, selectors go by that kind of criterion,” Saba further added.
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However, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Mumbai Indians (MI), he scored 397 runs in 2022 and followed it up with 343 runs in the 2023 edition as well. Apart from the upcoming Asia Cup, he has also been included in the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Asian Games 2023 squad in Hangzhou.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Tilak. For him to experience the dressing room, for him to understand the intricacies of international cricket, how to prepare in different conditions, it will come in very handy. It’s a very good buildup for Tilak. Whether he is part of the World Cup squad or not, whether he gets an opportunity here (Asia Cup) or not, irrespective of all that, for him to be given an opportunity, looking at his T20 performance speaks a lotIt tells that the selection committee and the team management really believe in him. It tells us that he can become a future all-format player,” Saba Karim concluded.
