It was Rinku Singh’s fine fielding display once more that stole all the limelight and also helped him earn the Impact Fielder of the Series award following India’s thrilling Super Over win over Sri Lanka. The baby-faced assassin managed to oust stiff competitors in the form of Riyan Parag and Ravi Bishnoi for the award, putting another feather in his cap.
Suryakumar Yadav could not have asked for a better start to his captaincy career as India thrashed the Sri Lankans in what was a convincing series whitewash, 3-0. The series that put beyond doubt India’s capability on the fielding front, with several of the young guns turning up breathtaking athleticism. Among them, Rinku shone through as a standout performer with his whirlwind reflexes and impeccable judgment. He received the award from India’s newly appointed assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, a reward for his consistent brilliance.
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His impact in the field was quite evident as he got five catches to his name, that too, with an important catch in the Super Over. It was the turn of the other diminutive dynamo to come into the award—his infectious enthusiasm evident as he received the award, and could be heard saying his signature line: “God’s plan, baby!”.
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Fielding coach T Dilip has showered praise on the entire fielding unit for delivering good performance in the high-pressure game, more so due to the nature of the pitch. Drawing a very apt comparison, Dilip went on to say that the role of a T20 fielder is akin to that of a firefighter – one has to always be on their guard, always ready for instinctive reactions. This was Rinku’s second Impact Player of the Series award in succession as he was adjudged the winner during the recent Zimbabwe tour as well.
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Ryan ten Doeschate paid a warm tribute and said, “Rinku’s fight and resolve stood out.” He focused on how the young fielder bounced back from the early errors in the second game and kept on pushing himself to the limit throughout. Ten Doeschate’s admiration for Rinku’s unwavering spirit came through as he announced the award winner.
India’s batting lost steam in the third T20I; they could only get a paltry 137/9 despite Shubman Gill’s 39. Maheesh Theekshana was devastating with the ball for Sri Lanka, and he picked up three important wickets. But the hosts’ batting collapse in the final overs set up a Super Over.