But as we have seen in Indian cricket in the past, with great performances, comes big comparisions.
Coming at number 6, Rinku’s ability to finish games consistently for the side with a cool and collective manner has drawn comparisons with none other than the legendary MS Dhoni, who fulfilled the same batting role for over a decade.
However, such comparisons at this early stage in his career are a big red flag. Indian cricket has seen many examples of promising talents who were touted as the next big thing, only to fizzle out after a few years, eventually cramping under pressure. Venkatesh Iyer, who was hailed as Hardik Pandya’s successor after his impressive performances in the IPL 2021, hasn’t played for the national side since February 2022.
Prithvi Shaw, who was compared to legendary Sachin Tendulkar after stellar domestic seasons, is not even a part of Indian team’s setup anymore.
Rinku Singh needs backing, not comparisions
While Rinku Singh has shown glimpses of his potential and talent, he still needs to be nurtured and guided carefully. Comparing Rinku Singh to MS Dhoni at this stage of his career is also putting unnecessary pressure and expectations on the young batter, who needs to be given time and space to develop his own identity and style.
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ODIs? Not too soon!
As former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra rightly said, “Our country is so obsessed with cricket that if one player performs well in one format we make them play all three formats”.
Rinku Singh’s impressive start in T20Is has sparked enthusiasm among fans and experts, urging for his inclusion in the ODI squad. However, recent history warns us that selecting players for a different format solely based on T20I performances doesn’t always translate to success.
A case in point is Suryakumar Yadav, who, despite excelling in T20Is, has struggled to replicate that success in ODIs.
So now, let Rinku Singh enjoy this early T20 success, let him savor it. In the future games, he might face failures, which will also lead to criticism. But what this young sensation needs to do for now is, “just keep swimming”.
