Raipur beckons Rinku Singh for an encore. The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, site of his breakout T20 blast, hosts India vs New Zealand’s second T20I on Friday—a perfect stage for the star’s return to form.
India’s only previous T20 here was against Australia last December 1. Rinku’s 29-ball 46, laced with four fours and two sixes, anchored a 174-run total. Bowlers struck back, limiting foes to 154 for a sweet 20-run victory.
Building momentum, Rinku dazzled in Nagpur with 44* off 20 (three sixes, four fours), proving his mettle post-hiatus. As a lower-order dynamo, he’s indispensable, especially with T20 World Cup dreams in sight.
Up 1-0, India craves Raipur dominance for a 2-0 stranglehold. ODI highlights included Abhishek Sharma and Rinku’s runs, plus Suryakumar’s 32 and Hardik’s 25. Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube must deliver the big one.
Enhanced fielding and bowling smarts are imperative. If Rinku recaptures his Raipur sorcery, India could cruise to series glory.