‘He is somebody I’d call a left-handed Dhoni’: Ravichandran Ashwin gives Rinku Singh a very special compliment

"The composure doesn’t change whether the team is batting first or chasing. His composure towards the back end of the innings is a bonus."- says Ashwin

The post ‘He is somebody I’d call a left-handed Dhoni’: Ravichandran Ashwin gives Rinku Singh a very special compliment appeared first on Cricket Country.

Rinku Singh was praised by Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who called him a “left-handed Dhoni” for his cool-headed batting in difficult circumstances. Ashwin explained that although Rinku can’t be directly compared to the great Dhoni, he has gained respect for his composed style at the wicket. Rinku proved he could finish games, and after an outstanding IPL 2023 season, he was selected for the Indian T20I team.

His most notable performance was in the third Twenty20 International match in Bengaluru against Afghanistan, when he hit an undefeated 69 off only 39 balls to save India from a dire 22 for 4. Alongside skipper Rohit Sharma, the Uttar Pradesh batsman cemented his influence on the international scene by helping to an undefeated 190-run stand for the fifth wicket.

“He is somebody I’d call a left-handed Dhoni. I can’t compare him to Dhoni just yet because Dhoni is too big. But, I am talking about the composure that he brings. He has been consistently scoring buckets of runs for UP and broke his way into the Indian team. He was on the KKR bench for many years. People used to tell me that, when he was at KKR, even though he couldn’t get the chance to bat at practice, he collected all the balls that batters hit in throwdowns and gave them back to the bowler,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“Since then, he has been with the franchise for so long, put in the hard work for UP and showed that he’s always available to get to the Indian team out of a tricky situation or finish an innings. The composure doesn’t change whether the team is batting first or chasing. His composure towards the back end of the innings is a bonus,” he added.

Rinku Singh is emerging as the new T20 star

The 26-year-old made his T20I debut in August 2023 against Ireland in Dublin, and he has since established himself. The left-hander has been in excellent form, amassing 356 runs at an astounding average of 89 and a stunning strike rate of 176.23 in 11 innings. Two half-centuries, including a recent undefeated 69 against Afghanistan and a noteworthy 68 not out off 39 balls against South Africa in Gqeberha in December, go along with his impressive achievements.

The post ‘He is somebody I’d call a left-handed Dhoni’: Ravichandran Ashwin gives Rinku Singh a very special compliment appeared first on Cricket Country.