Is he somebody who can hit a six from the primary ball?

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned Rinku Singh’s utilization in the first T20I against New Zealand. He wondered whether the middle-order batter can hit sixes as soon as he arrives at the crease for him to be given the finisher’s role.

Rinku smashed an unbeaten 44 off 20 deliveries at No. 7 as India set New Zealand a 239-run target in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21. The Men in Blue then restricted the Kiwis to 190/7 to win the game by 48 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India opener opined that Rinku isn’t being given his ideal batting position.

“In my opinion, you give Rinku Singh a chance too low in the batting order. He is your designated finisher, but should he be your designated finisher? You should ask that question for sure because, although he got to play more balls this time, many times 18-odd balls are left when the finisher gets the chance to play,” Chopra said. (4:50)

“When 18-odd balls are left, he would get eight to 10 balls. Is he someone who can hit a six from the first ball? He does everything that he can do and a little more, he tries to do more than what is in his control, he gives his 100 percent, but if you want the best from him, give him a few more overs,” he added.

Rinku Singh walked out to bat when India were 166/5 after 13.4 overs. He added crucial runs with Hardik Pandya (25 off 16), Axar Patel (5 off 5) and Arshdeep Singh (6* off 6) to take India to a mammoth total.

“Shivam Dube is a designated six-hitter with a lot of strength” – Aakash Chopra on Rinku Singh batting below the all-rounder

In the same video, Aakash Chopra reckoned that Rinku Singh should have been sent to bat ahead of Shivam Dube.

“His three half-centuries have come when he got to bat in the powerplay. I am not saying you should send him there, but when you sent Shivam Dube, you could have sent Rinku in his place. Make Rinku bat there. Shivam Dube is a designated six-hitter with a lot of strength. So you can move him slightly down the order,” he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player is returning to the Indian T20I setup after a while and is a pure batter, unlike Dube, who is also bowling a few overs.

“Rinku is returning after such a long time in any case. So you allow him an opportunity to play a few overs, get set, and score more runs. Shivam Dube is a two-skilled player. You are getting him to bowl as well. So he is going to be relevant a lot more. Rinku has only one skill set. He is a batter. My only request is that you should make him bat slightly up the order,” Chopra observed.

Shivam Dube scored nine runs off four balls while batting at No. 6 in the first T20I against New Zealand. He registered figures of 2/28 in three overs, picking up both his wickets in the final over of the Kiwi innings.