Rinku Singh’s ODI debut? KL Rahul ‘thinks so’

PTI

Johannesburg, December 16

KL Rahul is not chucking the gloves away in ODIs anytime soon and made it clear that he wouldn’t mind standing behind the stumps when the Boxing Day Test against South Africa comes calling in just over a week’s time.

Leading the ODI team after regular skipper Rohit Sharma took a break from the white-ball leg of the South Africa tour, the stylish right-hander also gave enough hints that Rinku Singh is all set to be rewarded with an ODI debut after displaying impressive technique, temperament and commendable game awareness in the T20 series.

Asked whether he will keep wickets in the ODI series starting tomorrow, Rahul said: “Yes, I will be keeping wickets and batting in the middle-order and after that I would be happy to keep wickets in Test matches,” Rahul said during the pre-match interaction. The skipper didn’t beat around the bush when asked if Rinku, who boasts of an average of 49.83 and strike-rate of 93-plus from 55 List A games for UP and Central Zone, will get his maiden ODI cap or not.

“Yeah, I think so,” Rahul said. “He has shown what a really good player he is. We all knew watching him in IPL that he is very skilled but what’s good to see is temperament he has shown in T20 series, game awareness, calmness under pressure. It was very refreshing for me to see on TV. I just spoke to him about it as well,” Rahul stated. “In ODI format as well, he has performed across formats in First-Class cricket and so he will get his opportunity in ODI series.”

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