After hitting a record-breaking five sixes against Yash Dayal in the 2023 Indian Premier League, young Indian batting phenom Rinku Singh gained notoriety for seeing out games for his club. The 26-year-old, playing in the first Twenty20 International against Australia on Thursday, November 23, in
, once again showed his finishing skills with a magnificent 22* off 14.
Thanks to his appearance, India achieved their greatest chase of 209 in Twenty20 Internationals. He went on to say that he just wanted to maintain composure and play to the final over.
Rinku Singh talked about his feelings when he walked up to bat after his game-winning hit, describing it as the “perfect situation” for him.
I had played in situations like these quite a few times, so it was ideal for me. To be playing with Suryakumar Yadav felt quite amazing. In the final four overs, we probably needed forty runs or so. In a video that BCCI released, Rinku stated, “I was just trying to stay calm and take it to the last over.”
Speaking further forward, he shared the priceless counsel that MS Dhoni had given him, telling him to hit the ball straight in the last overs.
“I’d had a conversation with Mahi Bhai. I wanted to know what he did in the final over of a game. He was advising you to try to hit straight and maintain as much composure as you can. I make an effort to do just that—to keep silent and not respond to anything. That has really benefited me,” he continued.
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In the last over, India lost three wickets.
Notably, India lost five wickets in the final 14 balls of their innings and Rinku Singh helped them escape with their lives. The cricketer, who was born in Aligarh, needed seven runs to win the last over. He struck a boundary with the first ball, then took a single with the next to reduce the required number of runs from four to two. But with one wicket needed to win the final delivery, three wickets fell at the opposite end for India.
To ensure that India won, Rinku remained composed and came back to smash Sean Abbott for a six with the final ball. Abott overstepped on the final ball, though, and India was handed a one-run penalty that put them ahead by one run before the ball even touched the stands.
In addition to Rinku, captain Suryakumar Yadav earned Player of the Match after a fantastic 80 from 42 balls in the inning. Josh Inglis earlier in the day helped Australia record 208/3 in their allotted 20 overs by scoring the joint-fastest century by an Australian in T20Is (47 balls) and 110 (50).
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