Before the national selectors and the management team finalized the 15 players who represented India in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, significant discussions revolved around the potential inclusion of Rinku Singh. Initially, he was not considered a primary choice, with Shubman Gill ahead of him in the batting order. However, Gill’s struggles and India’s strategy to start aggressively raised the question of who would be the best option if early wickets fell during the powerplay. Rinku emerged as the answer to that query.
This rationale ultimately led to Rinku’s selection for the T20 World Cup. Fortunately for India, they did not face early batting collapses during the tournament, allowing Rinku to effectively assume the role of a finisher. Yet, as the Kolkata Knight Riders continue to lag without a win, their batting lineup appears unsettled, prompting the question: Why is KKR hesitant to elevate Rinku in the batting order when their middle-order players are failing to establish themselves?
Remaining the only team without a win after five matches, KKR experienced another shaky start during their recent game against the Gujarat Titans. Captain Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed for a duck in the first over, Angkrish Raghuvanshi struggled at No. 3, and Tim Siefert, who replaced Finn Allen, also failed to make an impact. As wickets fell during the powerplay, Rinku was not promoted, and instead, Rovman Powell joined Cameron Green at the crease. Even after Powell’s dismissal in the 11th over, Anukul Roy was sent in next.
Among the various strategic missteps KKR seems to be making, their reluctance to advance Rinku—who serves as the team’s vice-captain—beyond his designated finishing role is particularly perplexing. In a batting lineup lacking confidence, he stands out as their most proficient Indian batsman. Retained for a franchise-high Rs 15 crore, he has been their go-to finisher for several seasons. However, confining him to just the later stages of the innings may be detrimental to the team’s performance.
In a sport increasingly driven by analytics, KKR might believe they have strong justifications for reserving Rinku for the latter part of the innings. Statistically, he has not excelled during the middle overs, with a strike rate of 116.15 in that phase and a record of 22 dismissals. He has managed only 19 sixes in 47 innings during this period, indicating that he has not adapted well to batting higher in the order. His performance in the first 10 overs has also been underwhelming, accumulating just 192 runs in 23 innings.
For a player of Rinku’s caliber, his current role limits not only his potential but also that of KKR, as the team faced yet another defeat. In this IPL season, while he has contributed with late-game efforts, he has fallen short in critical moments when his batting was required. For instance, he scored only 7 runs while batting in the 12th over against the Lucknow Super Giants and managed just 6 runs off 12 balls against the Chennai Super Kings, where he batted at No. 5, attempting to stabilize the innings.
During the match against Gujarat, Rinku finally came to bat at No. 7 in the 14th over but could only score 1 off 2 balls, attempting a risky shot when he was not in a strong position. KKR may believe that Rinku is best utilized at the end of the innings, but his inability to make a significant impact raises concerns. With a first-class average of 59.30 and a reputation for solid temperament, it is time for him to assume greater responsibility and help lift KKR out of their current struggles.
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