Uttar Pradesh middle-order batter Rinku Singh could not have asked for a better start to the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2026/27 season than delivering a back-to-back century to rescue his side once again.
In Uttar Pradesh’s second match of the Ranji Trophy season against Goa at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, Rinku Singh emerged as the lone warrior as he played an unbeaten innings of 118 off 186 balls, including 11 fours and 2 sixes, before his side was bundled out for 202 in 71 overs in the first innings, leaving him standing tall while wickets fell around him.
The southpaw’s 58-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Madhav Kaushik (45) and then another crucial 65-run stand for the 10th wicket with Vansh Chaudhary (4) helped Uttar Pradesh post a respectable total on a challenging pitch.
Rinku Singh’s Back-to-Back Centuries Put Him in the National Spotlight
The Indian middle-order batter Rinku Singh, who last featured for Team India in a T20I match against Zimbabwe in July this year, has been in phenomenal domestic form. The southpaw was excluded from the recently concluded white-ball home series against the West Indies and the upcoming New Zealand tour.
Uttar Pradesh batter was also not included in the recent India A ODI series against Australia A in Puducherry and the upcoming three-match unofficial Test series against New Zealand, starting on October 24. However, Rinku Singh is apparently unfazed by his omission, choosing instead to let his bat do the talking in the domestic circuit.
In Uttar Pradesh’s opening match against Bihar, the 28-year-old played an innings of 112 off 168 balls, including 11 fours and 3 sixes, to help the side post a total of 540 before forcing an innings victory. He carried on his momentum into the second match, where he notched up another three-figure mark, proving once again that his red-ball game is operating at an elite level.
With two back-to-back centuries, Rinku Singh’s first-class batting average has risen to beyond 60 over 78-plus innings. Despite not being in the scheme of things in India’s Test setup, the southpaw continues to demonstrate why he is among the most reliable middle-order batters in the domestic circuit.
In the last Ranji Trophy season, Rinku featured in only two matches for Uttar Pradesh due to national commitments and scored 341 runs, including two centuries, at an exceptional average of 341, underlining his consistency and ability to convert opportunities into big scores.
Rinku Singh’s First-Class Numbers Spark Calls For India Test Selection
Rinku Singh’s back-to-back centuries in the ongoing Ranji Trophy and his exceptional numbers in First-Class cricket have reignited debate over his exclusion from India’s Test setup on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), with fans and cricket enthusiasts urging the selectors to give him an opportunity in the longest format.
Taking to their X handles, many questioned Rinku Singh’s continued exclusion from India’s squads despite his impressive domestic performances. While some called for his inclusion in the Test team, others pointed to his first-class average of over 60, and a few urged the selectors to reconsider his case.
Another section of fans also suggested that Rinku should bat higher up the order to strengthen his case for an India call-up, while others expressed frustration over his continued absence from the national setup despite his consistent performances in domestic cricket.
In his First-Class career, Rinku Singh has amassed 3987 runs, including 12 centuries and 23 fifties, at an average of 61.33 in 78 innings, solidifying his status as one of the most prolific and dependable run-scorers in modern Indian domestic cricket.
It remains to be seen whether national selectors will take notice of his exceptional red-ball form and reward his consistency with a much-deserved call-up to the Test squad or the India ‘A’ setup.