'God's plan' - Rinku Singh jubilant after receiving 'Best Fielder Medal' for Zimbabwe series

In a brilliant conclusion to India's dominating 4-1 T20I series victory over Zimbabwe, explosive batter Rinku Singh was awarded the prestigious 'Fielder of the Series' medal after the game.

The ceremony, held in the Indian dressing room, highlighted the team's commitment to excellence in all aspects of the game, particularly fielding.

The series, which marked the beginning of India's post, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma era in T20Is, saw a second-string Indian squad show their capabilities against Zimbabwe. While the difference in skill levels was apparent throughout the series, it was most evident in the fielding department.

The Indian unit consistently displayed brilliance in run-outs, catching, and ground fielding, setting a high standard that their opponents struggled to match.

Stand-in fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh announced Rinku as the winner, considering his performances across all five matches. The ceremony began with a video message from T Dilip, the former fielding coach, who introduced this tradition, emphasizing the importance of fielding in Indian cricket. 

“Boys, fielding has always been a paramount to us in Indian cricket, and it's an aspect of the game where we have set high standards over the years. We should aim to continue to strive for excellence in this area. As we all know, we follow a tradition, which is the fielding medal. The medal is given to a player that makes a significant impact in the game with their fielding,” Dilip said in the BCCI video.

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I really enjoyed playing with everyone: Rinku

Ghosh praised the team's collective effort. He appreciated the efforts of the team to focus more on fielding and emphasized that showing good fielding skills helps the team in winning matches and bigger tournaments.

“Another good day in fielding. I think it was a terrific effort from each and everyone. I think, in the last five months, we have been thrown into different scenarios and different challenges. As I always say, catching is very, very important. If you take the catches, you can control the game, and you can dominate the game, which we did today,” Ghosh said.

VVS Laxman, the interim head coach for this tour, had the honour of presenting the medal to Rinku. The young player, known for his explosive batting, proved his all-round capabilities by taking six catches during the series. Despite limited opportunities with the bat, Rinku made his mark on the field.

“I really enjoyed playing with everyone. It was my 4th or 5th series, so I really enjoyed it. To be honest, I like batting and fielding a lot, but fielding is something I enjoy a lot more. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun to run. So what else can I say? God's Plan (laughs),” Rinku said.

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The series concluded with India securing a comfortable 42-run victory in the final T20I at the Harare Sports Club. The team posted a competitive total of 167-6, with Rinku contributing a quick 11-run cameo. The Indian bowlers then dismantled the Zimbabwe batting line-up, restricting them to 125 all out.