Why it would be criminal by BCCI selectors to leave out Rinku Singh from India’s Asia Cup squad

In 24 T20I innings for India, Rinku Singh has 546 runs at an average of 42.00 and at a sensational strike rate of 161.06.

The countdown ticks toward August 19, when Ajit Agarkar and his panel announce India’s Asia Cup T20 squad, fans are bracing for debates that are as predictable as they are divisive. The current T20I lot is overflowing with batting talent and in that storm of options, one name suddenly under the scanner is Rinku Singh. But to leave him out now, after what he has done for India in the T20 format, would not just be harsh; it would be criminal.

From 5 sixes to India’s designated finisher

Rinku Singh is one of the many T20 talents unearthed through the IPL. Ever since his iconic five sixes in an over against Yash Dayal in 2023, the left-hander has been celebrated as India’s next finishing act. Unlike many who find the role tough, Rinku carried that promise onto the international stage.

In just 33 T20Is, he has amassed 546 runs at an average of 42 and a strike rate of 161. In fact, he took the international stage by storm. In his first 14 innings, Rinku averaged a whopping 81 and had a strike rate near 180. He has shown how lethal he could be.

And yet, recent IPL seasons haven’t told the same story. With Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pushing him down the order, Rinku barely had the stage to showcase his firepower. Across IPL 2024 and 2025 combined, he faced only 247 balls, which hardly enough for a player branded as a finisher to leave his stamp. Judging him solely on those muted outings would be missing the forest for the trees.

Rinku Singh in T20Is

The crowding of India’s batting core

India’s batting depth is both its strength and its headache. For the Asia Cup, the top slots are all but sealed with Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Sanju Samson certain to be in the mix. Add the return of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, and suddenly the selectors are staring at a logjam.

It is here that the axe most likely hovers over Rinku. A former selector even admitted that while everyone wants Rinku in, nobody can identify who to leave out for him. That is the cruel irony of India’s current riches: a proven finisher might lose out not because he failed, but because others are jostling for space. Will Rinku endure the same fate like he did at the T20 World Cup 2024 when Rohit Sharma’s side chose Shivam Dube over Rinku.

Yet, what is conveniently ignored is that some of these “certain picks” haven’t exactly lit up the IPL either. Samson and Tilak Varma endured subdued seasons, but their international pedigree is keeping them in contention. Shouldn’t that same yardstick apply to Rinku, whose international numbers are as strong as anyone’s?

India can’t leave out Rinku Singh

Finishing in T20 cricket is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Matches are increasingly decided in the final overs, where panic sets in and only cool heads prevail. Rinku has time and again shown he thrives on that pressure. Beyond batting, his electric fielding adds value that statistics cannot measure.

Also, India don’t have many finishing options as well. Hardik Pandya’s name might come to mind but he has made himself into a number five batter, who needs to face some balls before going all guns blazing. In the last two IPL seasons, Pandya has averaged a mere 20 with the bat. The same is the case with Axar Patel, who is more of a stabiliser in case of an early collapse.