Rinku Singh slams fiery century ahead of Asia Cup: Details
What's the story
Rinku Singh, captain of Meerut Mavericks, scored his maiden T20 century in the UP T20 League match against Gorakhpur Lions on Thursday. The match was held at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow and witnessed a dramatic turnaround as Rinku's explosive knock helped his team chase down a target of 168 runs. At one point during the chase, it seemed like Meerut's chances were over with four wickets down for just 38 runs in eight overs.
Match details
Rinku's explosive knock leads Meerut to a thrilling win
Rinku Singh played a heroic innings, scoring an unbeaten 108 off just 48 balls. His innings included seven boundaries and eight sixes, with five of those sixes coming off his last six balls, spread across the 18th and 19th overs. He took on Abdul Rehman and Vasu Vats in the 18th and 19th overs respectively, finishing off the game in style. This performance was a much-needed boost for Rinku Singh as he had been struggling with his form lately.
Career trajectory
Rinku's struggles for India in recent T20Is
Rinku Singh's T20I career has been a mix of highs and lows. Before the Bangladesh T20I series last year, he had scored 479 runs in 19 innings at an average of 59.87 and strike rate of 175.45, including three fifties. However, since then, Rinku has struggled to regain his form with poor performances in India's last two bilateral T20I series against South Africa and England where he managed just 67 runs in seven games at an average of 13.40.
IPL impact
His batting position in IPL might have affected his game
Rinku Singh's dip in form can be attributed to his batting position at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the IPL. He has mostly batted at No. 6, sometimes even lower. This lack of consistent playtime dented his numbers. Fans are now hoping that this century will help Rinku regain his old self and perform well in the upcoming Asia Cup, avoiding a repeat of his T20 World Cup 2024 experience where he didn't get a single game.