Star Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and India national cricket team batsman Rinku Singh has been named captain of the Uttar Pradesh team for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy starting on December 21 Vijay Hazare Trophy).
Rinku Singh will take over the captaincy responsibilities from veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who played in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) as team captain.
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As the captain of Uttar Pradesh, I have to play a more important role and I am ready──Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh doesn't have much experience as a captain and his Vijay Hazare Trophy career will be his first time captaining the national team at the senior level. However, the 27-year-old is ready for the challenge.
He said that he enjoyed the experience of captaining Meerut Mavericks in the UPT20 league and the experience will help him in the upcoming 50-over games. Rinku Singh also revealed that he is working hard to improve his bowling.
ESPNCricinfo quoted him as saying: “Leading Meerut Mavericks in the UPT20 league was a great opportunity for me and I am happy to achieve it. I really enjoyed my time as captain as it allowed me to Learned a lot.
“I did try bowling [offspin] The same goes for the UPT20 league. Today's cricket requires a complete package – a cricketer who can bat, bowl and field. Now I am also focusing on my bowling. As captain of Uttar Pradesh, I have a bigger role to play and I am ready.
I didn’t think much about KKR captaincy – Rinku Singh
Uttar Pradesh's stellar performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy could be a springboard for Rinku Singh to get the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) title under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, but he was released by the team but they were unable to buy him back at the auction.
After not getting Shreyas Iyer, KKR acquired Venkatesh Iyer for INR 23.75 cr. Many believe that the all-rounder will captain the team next season after being bought for a huge fee, but Ajinkya Rahane is also reportedly one of the leading contenders for the position.
As nothing is finalized yet, Rinku Singh was asked if he is being considered for the KKR captaincy. Reacting to this, the left-handed batsman said that he is not thinking about it at all and is completely focused on leading Uttar Pradesh in VHT. He said:
“I haven't given much thought to the issue of KKR captaincy in the new IPL season. I am focused on Uttar Pradesh's plans as I want my team to regain the trophy we won for the first time in 2015-16.”
Even now, I feel that if God decides something for me, I will definitely get it – Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh is a permanent member of India's T20I team but is not in the plans for ODIs. As the 2025 Champions Trophy approaches, the selection committee will pay close attention to the performance of key players, and Rinku will be one of them.
However, the batsman only focuses on hard work and leaves everything else to God. Rinku Singh elaborates:
“I believe in God. Last year, when I scored five straight six-wicket hauls in the IPL, I didn't even expect to be part of the Indian team. That ended up being the biggest game-changer in my life. Even now, I still feel that if God decides something for me, I will definitely get it, but at the same time, I need to work hard.
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