India won the first T20I comfortably, playing fearless cricket and dominating every department. But even after a convincing win, there’s one question that refuses to leave the minds of Indian cricket fans: Where is Rinku Singh? A player who was once a regular and reliable face in India’s T20 setup is suddenly out of the squad right before a crucial season.
The comparison floating around is obvious: Rinku Singh vs Shivam Dube. But even Suryakumar Yadav has said these two cannot be compared — one is a pure finisher, the other an all-rounder. And yes, Shivam Dube has been used as a bowling option and has taken wickets. That part is completely fair. But does that justify Rinku Singh’s exclusion?
Rinku has been India’s best finisher at No. 5 and 6, with an exceptional strike rate, calmness under pressure, and top-tier hitting ability. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube — despite his heroics in the T20 World Cup final — hasn’t matched Rinku’s strike rate consistently across positions. And with the team openly saying they want batters who can attack from ball one, Rinku fits that template better than almost anyone.
So the debate continues: Is it time to bring Rinku Singh back into the Indian T20 side?
