Team India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has expressed his thoughts on the playing XI, highlighting the need for flexibility among the cricketers in the playing squad.
The skipper also emphasised the importance of all-rounders in the squad, which gave a hint of the reason why Rinku Singh was left out of the equation.
Rinku Singh has been a promising star in the Indian cricketing circuit following his breakout season in IPL 2022. While he has provided some solid performances in the middle order, the 28-year-old could not put up consistent appearances in the preceding T20I series.
Rinku has been left out of the South Africa T20Is, prompting a debate among the fans.
Suryakumar Yadav Wants Flexibility, But No Words On Rinu Singh’s Exclusion
Suryakumar Yadav did not address the omission of Rinku Singh from the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. But the India T20I captain’s emphasis on having all-rounders for flexibility in the team could be a key reason behind the Indian finisher’s exclusion from the squad.
The Indian T20I captain also expressed that the team and squad look good and dominant, and he is content with the selection.
“Dube is an all-rounder. All the batters from 3 to 7 are capable of batting at any position. For example, you might see Tilak Verma batting at 6. As you saw in Australia, Dube went in to bat at number 3. It depends on the entry point of the batter.
“We have to be really flexible during that. More likely, this is what the team and the squad look like. It looks good. It looks strong. So, I am very happy with it,” Suryakumar Yadav said at the pre-match press conference, as quoted by ANI.
Rinku Singh Yet To Shine For India In The Big Stage
Rinku Singh hasn’t had the chance to showcase himself properly for Team India in bilateral competition. He last featured in the Asia Cup final, where he made his sole tournament appearance against Pakistan and scored the match-winning boundary to win it all.
However, the southpaw Indian batter hasn’t had the opportunities to display his brilliance. In the last ten innings in T20I cricket for India, Rinku Singh put up 234 runs at an average of 16.75 and a 128.84 strike rate. His best score was 53.
Rinku Singh is currently active in the domestic circuit, playing for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26 season.