Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh heaped praise on Rinku Singh for his stunning cameo of 44 runs off 20 balls in the first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21. He made a return to the playing XI after being included in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad, and made a strong impression as a finisher in the 48-run victory.
Rinku found his way back into the setup after Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma were dropped at the last minute by the selectors. He walked in to bat after Shivam Dube was dismissed for nine runs in the 14th over and went on to smash four boundaries and three sixes at a strike rate of 220, propelling India to a formidable total of 238/7. Harbhajan lauded Rinku’s ability to seize his opportunities and deliver under pressure.
"Rinku Singh's performance has to be praised, the poor guy got a chance after a long time, and he made the most of it. Every time he gets a chance, he is such a hard working player that he never lets the chance go. Whenever he plays, he wins hearts," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
The off-spinner also lauded Abhishek Sharma’s selfless approach, crediting him for prioritising the team’s needs over personal milestones. Abhishek scored a blistering 84 off 35 balls, smashing five fours and eight sixes at a strike rate of 240. He was on the cusp of registering his third T20I century but perished while attempting to take on Ish Sodhi, even after hitting three boundaries earlier in the over.
"Abhishek Sharma could have easily scored a hundred, but he said no. He said that he will continue to bat in the same explosive fashion, even if he gets out. This is the difference in the mentality. This is massive that he did not think about himself and thought about the team instead. The way he is batting now, whenever he scores a 50, Team India wins. He is a superstar, and the bowlers do not have any answers against him," Harbhajan said.
During his half-century, Abhishek also reached the landmark of 5,000 T20 runs, becoming the fastest batter ever to achieve the feat. He took just 2,898 deliveries to reach the milestone, surpassing the previous record held by Andre Russell.
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