The former Aussie cricketer felt reminded of watching two of the country's finest-ever limited-overs giants watching the young uncapped Indian batter blaze it away.
Bolstering his stocks with another scintillating knock in the IPL 2023 league stage encounter played on Saturday (May 20) night in Kolkata, Rinku Singh is receiving overwhelming praise to his name and calls for his immediate inclusion in India’s senior T20I set-up.
Selection aside, the uncapped Indian left-hander proving his match-winning abilities for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is being deemed as one of the game’s brightest young middle-order batters in the world, attracting comparisons with the leading names and legends of the sport.
The young cricketer, who had evoked the feelings of watching West Indian giants Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard blaze away in the end-overs phase for prominent experts on the outside, is now being put in the esteemed bracket of limited-overs greats such as Michael Hussey and Michael Bevan by renowned Australian coach Tom Moody.
Not in the body of work, of course, but Moody felt reminiscent of the Hussey-Bevan duo in their pomp watching Rinku Singh go about his business in the game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), blasting an unbeaten 67 off 33 deliveries to nearly propel KKR past the finish line.
Speaking as an expert for ‘ESPNcricinfo’, Moody said in Rinku Singh he can observe a batter with a solid base and strong temperament to shine through under pressure like he has throughout IPL 2023. The Indian middle-order contender finished the tournament after amassing 474 runs in his 14 innings at a strike-rate just shy of 150.
“Without a doubt, because he’s got the game, he’s got a strong foundation to his name. He averages nearly 60 in first class cricket. He hasn’t just sort of been plucked out of nowhere as a really good ball striker, without any pedigree,” Moody said.
“He’s got pedigree to his game. He’s got technique. He’s got great balance and composure at the crease, and he’s been in pressure situations in other formats of the game.”
“One of the most impressive things is his temperament and the best finishers generally have really calculated minds but also very calm minds under pressure and he seems to have that,” he added.
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Where Moody felt reminded of watching Hussey and Bevan snatch victories from the jaws of defeat for Australia in their pomp is Rinku Singh’s ability to inspire a feeling of being “under control” even as the match is slipping away from KKR.
The batter has on multiple occassions walked in a position of strife and managed to lead the recovery for the two-time champions, making his season tally even more impressive.
“Look, I don’t know him personally, I’ve never worked with him, but just as an observer and a fan, I look at it and think this guy’s composed. He’s in control. And I’ve seen that before in players historically like Michael Bevan, who I’ve played quite a bit of cricket with,” Moody said.
“In 50 over cricket he had that trait of just you’re thinking the games getting away from him but he’s got it absolutely under control. Mike Hussey of more recent than Michael Bevan. They seem to just understand how to finish a game in a very calm and composed way,” he added.
