IND vs NZ 2026: 'Rinku Singh should have played 100 games by now' - Simon Doull hails star batter after his heroics in 1st T20I

Rinku Singh played a blinder of a cameo in the first T20I between India and New Zealand at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 22. The southpaw smashed the Kiwi bowlers to all areas of the park, finishing with 44 runs not out off 20 balls, belting four fours and three sixes. The diminutive batter's heroics helped India post a mammoth total of 238/7 after Abhishek Sharma's blitzkrieg at the top of the order.

After India registered a comfortable 48-run win, Simon Doull praised Rinku for his sensational innings. The veteran commentator called Rinku one of the best finishers in the game and said that he should have played 100 matches by now.

“Rinku Singh is one of the best finishers in the game. We saw him burst onto the scene in the IPL four or five years ago, and I still feel he hasn’t played enough T20 cricket for India since then. He should have featured far more and could easily have played 100 games by now,” Doull told Star Sports.

“Rinku needs to be backed in that finishing role because he is exceptional at it. Despite his height, he is incredibly powerful, and his ability to get under the ball at the death makes him extremely difficult to bowl to,” Doull added.

Rinku has been in and out of the Indian T20 team in recent years. Even when he has been a part of the squad, he has mostly warmed the bench. However, on Wednesday, he showcased his skills as a power-hitter in the death overs.

After the Kiwis won the toss and opted to bowl first on Wednesday, Abhishek smashed 84 off just 35 balls to put India right on top from the get-go. Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya also chipped in with useful contributions before Rinku's onslaught.

In the second innings, Glenn Phillips top-scored for New Zealand with a 40-ball 78. However, it wasn't enough to help the tourists reach the daunting total posted by India. The Black Caps were restricted to 190/7 as India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.