Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has raised concerns over Kolkata Knight Riders’ continued support for Rinku Singh, suggesting that the batter has not lived up to expectations and is still riding the wave of his five consecutive sixes that brought him fame in the Indian Premier League. Srikkanth’s remarks followed KKR’s 32-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on Tuesday, where they struggled to chase a target of 192 on a competitive Chepauk wicket.
Srikkanth expressed doubts about Rinku Singh’s suitability for the No. 5 position, questioning his ability to construct lengthy innings. The former selection committee chairman described KKR’s batting line-up as the weakest in the league.
“Rinku Singh is not an explosive player. He hit five sixes in five balls ages ago, and we keep talking about that. He is adept at rotating the strike, but he can struggle when the required run rate exceeds 10 or 12. He can’t do it,” Srikkanth stated on his YouTube show on Tuesday.
“He is more suited for the No. 7 position as a finisher. He can perform when 50 runs are needed off 5 overs. Rinku shouldn’t be tasked with batting at No. 5 to build an innings. It won’t work,” he added, noting that Rinku has been playing the finisher’s role for the senior national team as well.
During Tuesday’s match, Rinku Singh came to bat when KKR were at 79 for 3 in the 10th over. After losing Angkrish Raghuvanshi for 27, captain Ajinkya Rahane, who was also struggling, needed an accelerating partner. However, Rinku struggled and was dismissed by Noor Ahmed after scoring just 6 off 12 balls, marking another disappointing performance.
