Entire nation hopes that legends Virat, Rohit win 2027 ODI WC for India: Rinku Singh

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Middle-order batter Rinku Singh has expressed hope that veteran stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup and help India lift the coveted trophy. At the same time, Rinku mentioned that he wants to break the perception of being a single-format player by earning a Test cap.

Rinku, who has played two ODIs and 48 T20Is so far, was a member of India's victorious 2026 T20 World Cup campaign on home soil earlier this year.

“They are legends, both Virat bhaiya and Rohit bhaiya. Not just me, but the entire nation hopes that they play in the World Cup and are part of the team that goes on to win it.

“It would be a huge moment for the whole country, as who knows, it could be their last World Cup. So, it would be huge if they can win it for India. It would be huge for them as well, because we haven’t won the World Cup in a long time. We last won it in 2011. So, we hope both of them are with the team, and that they lift that trophy,” Rinku said to JioStar.

While he gained instant global fame after hitting five consecutive sixes in an over during an IPL 2023 match for Kolkata Knight Riders against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, Rinku stated that his primary career goal is to get more World Cup wins.

“Right now, people know me for hitting those five sixes in one over. What’s on my mind right now is that I want to win the World Cup for Team India, being part of the team, contributing with the bat and helping India win the World Cup.

I want people to know me more for that, rather than just the five sixes.”

Having established himself as a reliable finisher in T20s, though he was omitted from India’s squads after the tour of Zimbabwe in July, Rinku rejected the tag of being purely a white-ball specialist and pointed to his solid record in domestic red-ball cricket.

“There’s a bit of that perception that I’m just a one-format player. But you can look at my average in domestic cricket, whether it’s in one-dayers or four-day matches.

I have a dream of playing Test cricket for India as well.

“So, people shouldn’t view me as a single-format player. I can play all three formats, and I do play all three formats in domestic cricket. But for India, I play only one format at the moment.”

On his evolving leadership credentials, Rinku said he’s still a work in progress, while continuing to observe experienced leaders in both domestic and franchise cricket. “I’m still growing as far as captaincy is concerned.

I was captaining in the UP League, and I became champion with my team. Last season, I was the vice-captain in the IPL.

“So, I’m learning the ropes of captaincy, a bit from Ajju bhai (Ajinkya Rahane) at KKR and from many others. I played a lot with Surya bhai, so I kept observing him in the Indian team for two years and watching how he leads. I’m working on my leadership skills, and hopefully, something good is in store for me in captaincy.”

Reflecting on his humble origins and rise through the ranks, Rinku noted that remembering his past keeps him grounded.

“When I look back at where I began, I didn’t have much, and now I’ve reached here. That keeps running through my mind, the fact that there was a time when I had nothing, no money.

“Whenever I do something good, I think back to where I was and how far I have come from there. It’s all God’s blessing. So, I keep looking back at how far I have come,” he concluded.

--IANS

nr/vi