Irfan Pathan expressed concern Rinku Singh's Form ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The little cricketer is expected to play a vital role for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as they look to bounce back from their forgettable campaign in 2025.
Pathan recalled how Rinku took the cricket world by storm during IPL 2023 by scoring 474 runs in 14 matches at an average of 59.25 and strike rate of 149.53. However, in the last two seasons, the Uttar Pradesh captain has scored just 374 runs in 28 matches. The former India all-rounder also pointed to Rinku's disappointing performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, where she could score just 24 runs in five innings.
“We have to see how much opportunity he gets to play. He had a great 2023 season. He scored 400-450 runs with a strike rate of 150. But after that, his performance declined and at times he did not get enough chances. He has to maintain his level and make the most of the chances he got. Even in the World Cup, he played five matches, but he could not fully exploit the chances he got. This is another problem that Kolkata needs to improve. There is a need, and Rinku Singh is one of them,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
KKR is set to begin their campaign in IPL 2026 on Sunday, March 29, when they face Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. Ahead of the upcoming season, KKR has held three training sessions at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
On Friday, they played an intra-squad game, with Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh captaining the Purple Knights and Golden Knights respectively. Golden Knights scored 199/8 in their 20 overs, with Rinku scoring 40 runs in just 25 balls. However, the Purple Knights chased down the target in 19.2 overs with four wickets remaining. Angkrish Raghuvanshi was the star of the show, scoring an unbeaten 103 off 55 balls to lead his team to victory.
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