Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Rinku Singh says he is not distracted by the ongoing discussions regarding the team's captaincy for the upcoming IPL 2025. Rinku Singh said his first goal is to help Uttar Pradesh win the Vijay Hazare Trophy since they last won in 2015-16.
The defending IPL champions have released Shreyas Iyer, who led the team to victory last season, but are yet to announce a captain. Ajinkya Rahane is the top contender and Venkatesh Iyer is another option. Meanwhile, Rinku has been named captain of Uttar Pradesh Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Don’t think too much about KKR captaincy – Rinku Singh
In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Rinku Singh said that he is not focused on captaining KKR in the upcoming IPL season. Rinku added that he is focusing on helping his state team win the trophy. It is worth mentioning that this will be the first time Rinku leads the national team in a high-level competition.
“I'm not thinking too much about KKR's captaincy in the new IPL season. I'm focused on Uttar Pradesh's plans as I want my team to regain the trophy we won for the first time in 2015-16.” Rinku said.
Rinku Singh replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar as Uttar Pradesh captain. Bhuvneshwar led the team to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but lost in the quarter-finals. Rinku led Meerut Mavericks to victory in the UPT20 league earlier this year and scored 210 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 161.54.
Now I am also focusing on my bowling – Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh hinted at a new role in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. The 27-year-old cricketer said he has been focusing on his bowling skills after experimenting with off-spin during the UPT20 league.
“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,” said Rinku.
“When I hit five consecutive sixes in the IPL last year, I didn't even expect to be part of the Indian team. It turned out to be the biggest game-changer in my life. Even now I feel, If God decides something for me, I will definitely get it, but at the same time, I need to work on my job.
Rinku Singh has been with Kolkata Knight Riders since 2018
Rinku made his international debut in 2023 and has featured in 2 ODIs and 30 T20Is. The left-handed batsman has scored 55 runs in ODIs at a strike rate of 134.15 and 507 runs in T20Is at a strike rate of 166.15.
Kolkata Knight Riders are facing a tough decision regarding the captaincy of IPL 2025 and Rinku is a strong contender. The southpaw has been part of the team since 2018 and is one of the six players retained by KKR ahead of the IPL auction in Jeddah.
Also Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025 schedule, venue sealed; India vs Pakistan match to be played at…
Source link
