Rinku’s form and batting position in focus as India eye series win v SA

Rinku Singh during the 3rd T20I against SA. Pic/Getty Images

Rinku Singh's batting slot and circumspect approach must be a cause of concern for the India team going into the deciding fourth T20I against South Africa as the side aim for another bilateral series victory here on Friday.

Centuries by Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma on either side of an inept batting performance has kept India's nose ahead in the series and the team would want a more collective batting effort to clinch it 3-1. Rinku, one of the finest exponents of T20 cricket has suddenly gone off the boil in the past few months, reasons of which aren't exactly clear and it wouldn't be lost on the skipper and interim head coach VVS Laxman.

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In the current series, Rinku came in at No. 6 in two games and No. 7 in another and has managed just 28 runs. The scores 11, 9 and 8 shouldn't be taken in isolation looking at where he is coming in to bat, but when the number of balls (34) he has taken to score runs is taken into consideration, it becomes worrisome.

Most of Rinku's better efforts have come when he has batted at No. 5, but in a line-up where Samson is settling as an opener and Varma has staked claim as a No. 3, it might be difficult for Rinku to be promoted ahead of Hardik Pandya. It is an issue that the team think-tank would do better to solve at the earliest.

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