Even though he remains with 54.70 in first-class, Rinku Singh did not make it to the Duleep Trophy team which will start on September 5th. Although Rinku is popular for white-ball cricket, the aggressive batter made clear his interest in playing for India in Test cricket, thus showing his affection for the game’s longer format.
In a recent interview, Rinku mentioned his great affection for red-ball cricket and his desire to join the national side in all three formats. The Aligarh-born player wants the selectors to know that although many focus on white ball cricket, he is also of Test cricket. He remarked that it is the embodiment of the ultimate game which is particularly important when limited-overs rules prevail.
“I aim to be a part of all the three formats in cricket. I have an intense liking for Test cricket. My average in red-ball cricket is 55 and I love playing with the red balls. Test cricket is of great significance and it is a big deal to play it, particularly in this era where white-ball cricket is more popular. I am so desperate to wear the whites for India,” revealed Rinku Singh to News 24.
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Rinku was one of the players on the radar for the India T20 World Cup 2024 squad. On the other hand, lack of chances in IPL saw him fail in trying to make a mark, which forced the selection team to choose young Shivam Dube over him.
“Playing Test is a big thing in today’s world of short-format cricket, so I would like a chance to prove myself.” – Rinku Singh https://t.co/g4vWsfVNhg
— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) August 27, 2024
Nevertheless, Rinku, who never backs off on the pitch, is upbeat about the future and ready to stake his claim. He stressed that although selection is out of his reach he is however willing to commit the needed working of his spot toward getting into the 2026 team’s T20 World Cup that will be hosted by India.
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“All cricketers hope to play for their country in the World Cup and same is my dream. I performed well for India, but selection isn’t in my hands. It could be the case that the selectors were not able to see my bowling or things might have changed,” Rinku Singh said jokingly. “However, no problems—I’ll push myself harder and will try to be in the World Cup team next time.”