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Rinku Singh has not been included in any of India's squads for the upcoming New Zealand tour, which will feature five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests. The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced India's T20I squad on October 6, with Rinku notably absent from the selection. The five-match T20I series is scheduled to begin on October 22 in Christchurch.
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has raised questions about Rinku's omission, pointing to his strong domestic performance and international record. Chopra highlighted Rinku's First-class statistics and recent form as reasons to reconsider the selection decision.
"Rinku Singh, my bro, how many runs should he score? He has scored four centuries in his previous six innings. The entire team got out, but the guy was standing alone on 118. I saw a list, I think it was on Cricbuzz, of the players with the highest First-class average with a minimum of 50 innings. Sir Don Bradman is at the top. Sarfaraz Khan's name is also there," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
"Rinku Singh has an average of 61.33 in 78 innings, and that begs a question. Are we doing the right thing with Rinku Singh? He has been branded. Sometimes we brand and label a guy - that he is a white-ball player, and he isn't getting full opportunities there as well. In my opinion, he was also treated wrongly after the World Cup," he added.
Chopra's criticism of Rinku's treatment and selection approach
Rinku was part of India's 2026 T20 World Cup winning squad and last played for India in a T20I match against Zimbabwe in July 2026. Chopra emphasised that Rinku has demonstrated consistent performance whenever given opportunities at the international level, yet continues to face selection challenges.
In the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy, Rinku has made a strong case for Test selection by scoring 100 not out against Goa and 112 against Bihar. During IPL 2026, he scored 295 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 148.99, including two fifties. Chopra pointed out that Rinku scored four centuries in his previous six innings in domestic cricket.
Chopra expressed frustration at how Rinku has been managed at the international level, particularly regarding his batting position and opportunities. The analyst questioned the consistency of the selection approach and the player's treatment after his World Cup involvement.
"He hadn't done anything wrong. You used to make him bat down the order. He did whatever he was asked to do," Chopra said.
"The guy scored runs whenever he got to bat up the order. After that, you suddenly left him out, and now he is out only. Others are coming in and playing, but that guy is sitting out only," he added.
Test cricket opportunity amid middle-order uncertainty
Chopra also raised concerns about India's Test middle order depth and suggested that Rinku deserves consideration for the longer format. He noted that while India has established openers in KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Devdutt Padikkal or Sai Sudharsan at number three, Shubman Gill at four, Rishabh Pant at five and Dhruv Jurel at six, there remains uncertainty about the seventh position in the batting order.
"Then he plays First-class cricket and scores so many runs that you should notice, but you are not noticing, and I wonder why. There was an era when there was no place in the middle order. However, when I see the Indian Test team now, I feel a spot can open up at any time," Chopra said.
"You have two openers - KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Devdutt Padikkal/Sai Sudharsan is at No. 3, Shubman Gill at No. 4, Rishabh Pant at No. 5, and Dhruv Jurel at No. 6. Who is the seventh? We are not grooming anyone. We sent Sarfaraz Khan just now, but he wasn't played. We don't even think about Rinku Singh. I think it is not right," he concluded.
