Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned why Indian batter Rinku Singh isn’t in the selectors’ thoughts for Tests. While stating that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star has been branded a white-ball player, the analyst said that the middle-order batter hasn’t been treated fairly there either as well. India will play 10 white-ball matches, five T20Is and as many ODIs, and two Tests in their upcoming tour of New Zealand as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Rinku Singh, my bro, how many runs should he score? He has scored four centuries in his previous six innings. The entire team got out, but the guy was standing alone on 118. I saw a list, I think it was on Cricbuzz, of the players with the highest First-class average with a minimum of 50 innings. Sir Don Bradman is at the top. Sarfaraz Khan’s name is also there.”

“Rinku Singh has an average of 61.33 in 78 innings, and that begs a question. Are we doing the right thing with Rinku Singh? He has been branded. Sometimes we brand and label a guy – that he is a white-ball player, and he isn’t getting full opportunities there as well. In my opinion, he was also treated wrongly after the World Cup,” he further added.

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“He hadn’t done anything wrong. You used to make him bat down the order. He did whatever he was asked to do. The guy scored runs whenever he got to bat up the order. After that, you suddenly left him out, and now he is out only. Others are coming in and playing, but that guy is sitting out only,” he shared again.

However, Aakash Chopra also stated that Rinku Singh should be considered for Tests, as a middle-order spot could open up any time as well.

“Then he plays First-class cricket and scores so many runs that you should notice, but you are not noticing, and I wonder why. There was an era when there was no place in the middle order. However, when I see the Indian Test team now, I feel a spot can open up at any time,” he said.

“You have two openers – KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Devdutt Padikkal/Sai Sudharsan is at No. 3, Shubman Gill at No. 4, Rishabh Pant at No. 5, and Dhruv Jurel at No. 6. Who is the seventh? We are not grooming anyone. We sent Sarfaraz Khan just now, but he wasn’t played. We don’t even think about Rinku Singh. I think it is not right,” he concluded.