Former Indian opener and commentator Aakash Chopra questioned the selectors for not considering Rinku Singh as a middle-order batter in Tests. Interestingly, Rinku didn’t get a spot in the T20I squad for the New Zealand tour either.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Rinku has been considered a white-ball specialist, but his red-ball record has been excellent, highlighting the finisher not getting any chances even in the shortest format.
“Rinku Singh, my bro, how many runs should he score? He has scored four centuries in his previous six innings. The entire team got out, but the guy was standing alone on 118. I saw a list, I think it was on Cricbuzz, of the players with the highest First-class average with a minimum of 50 innings. Sir Don Bradman is at the top. Sarfaraz Khan’s name is also there,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“Rinku Singh has an average of 61.33 in 78 innings, and that begs a question. Are we doing the right thing with Rinku Singh? He has been branded. Sometimes we brand and label a guy – that he is a white-ball player, and he isn’t getting full opportunities there as well. In my opinion, he was also treated wrongly after the World Cup,” he added.
It’s important to note that Rinku Singh has scored 702 runs in 35 T20I innings at a strike rate of 156.34. Before Uttar Pradesh’s ongoing Ranji Trophy 2026 clash against Goa, he had amassed 3,869 runs at an average of 59.52 in 54 First-Class matches.
“He hadn’t done anything wrong. You used to make him bat down the order. He did whatever he was asked to do. The guy scored runs whenever he got to bat up the order. After that, you suddenly left him out, and now he is out only. Others are coming in and playing, but that guy is sitting out only,” he noted.
