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The eagerly awaited announcement of Team India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 arrived on Tuesday (April 30), as the selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, revealed the names of the 15 chosen players. However, notable exclusions, such as star batter Rinku Singh, stirred discussions among cricket enthusiasts. Rinku finds himself among the reserve players, alongside other prominent names like Shubman Gill.
Rinku Singh’s exclusion
Rinku has showcased remarkable performance in international cricket, having played 15 matches for Team India. In these appearances, he has amassed a total of 356 runs, boasting an impressive average of 89 and a commendable strike rate of 176.23. Nevertheless, despite his past successes, Rinku’s form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season has been less than stellar. In 9 matches so far for his side Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he has managed to score only 123 runs, with an average of 20.50.
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Insights from Sunil Gavaskar
Veteran cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has offered insights into Rinku’s absence from the squad, linking it to his recent lackluster performance in the IPL. Gavaskar emphasized that Rinku didn’t receive ample opportunities to showcase his talent during the tournament, which may have influenced the selectors’ decision.
“Maybe his form in this particular edition of the IPL hasn’t been great. He hasn’t had that many opportunities (with KKR), maybe that’s the reason why they’ve (selectors) not picked him,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.
Team India’s upcoming journey: T20 World Cup 2024
Under the astute leadership of veteran Rohit Sharma, Team India is poised to commence their T20 World Cup journey on June 5 against Ireland. Following this, they will engage in a highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in a blockbuster showdown set in New York on June 9. Subsequently, on June 12, they will confront hosts United States of America (USA), before concluding their group stage fixtures with a match against Canada on June 15.
