Battling for the Finish Line: Rinku Singh Stakes His Claim, But Veterans Loom Large

Though other players will likely challenge Rinku Singh for the spot, Ashish Nehra believes that Singh has earned a contender's tag for the finisher's spot in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup in 2019.

June of the following year will see the West Indies and the US host the T20 World Cup.

In the current five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series against Australia, Rinku has been in incredible form. On Friday, in the fourth match held in Raipur, his 46 off 29 balls proved crucial in India's 3-1 victory that sealed the series with 20 runs.

The former left-arm pacer told JioCinema, "There is no doubt that Rinku Singh is a contender for inclusion in India's T20 World Cup squad."

"But the World Cup is still far away and the spot he's fighting for has many challengers."

During the current series, Rinku has delivered some pivotal blows. In the second Twenty20 International at Thiruvananthapuram, India won by 44 runs thanks in large part to his 31 not out from nine balls.

The T20 team for the World Cup may see significant changes, and Rinku may become a strong contender for the slog overs, as it is unclear whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be part of India's plans for the international showcase.

"Jitesh Sharma, a batter-wicketkeeper, and Tilak Varma are two people you can look at. The positions that Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya will play will need to be discussed, the former cricket player and current commentator stated.

Therefore, we must determine how many spots there are in the 15-person squad. But one thing is certain—Rinku has made everyone aware of the world and put pressure on them. However, there is still a long way to go. The IPL and the trip to South Africa are coming up," Nehra stated.

Nehra supported the inexperienced Indian pace attack, which has come under fire from some quarters for giving up more than 200 runs in the opening three Twenty20 Internationals against Australia.

Legendary players Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj are not included in the team for the five-match series because they are rested. "A lot of the bowlers have changed, and the conditions were different for the first three matches. Your seasoned bowlers have had time to rest.

"Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar are relatively new to the world of international cricket. And then we witnessed the first three matches yielding over 200 runs. Hence, it's not just the bowlers from India who are leaking runs; the bowlers from Australia have also conceded a lot of runs. For India, Mukesh Kumar has been a huge asset. He said, "His bowling in the death overs, yorker execution, and wet ball bowling have all been excellent.

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