T20 World Cup 2026: ‘I can bat anywhere’ - Rinku Singh backs his versatility ahead of marquee event

Indian cricketer Rinku Singh believes he is versatile enough to not be limited solely to the role of a finisher ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. He has earned a recall to the national squad after missing out on the home T20I series against South Africa and is expected to play a significant role in the coming weeks.

Rinku has primarily batted in the lower middle order, with 14 of his 24 T20I innings coming at No.6 or lower. However, he has also featured higher up the order on several occasions and has shown encouraging results. In T20Is, he averages 49 at No.4 and 40.86 at No.5 across a combined 11 innings. In the IPL, he boasts an impressive average of 45.22 and a strike rate of 145.36 in 13 innings at the No.5 position.

"At the position I usually bat, people see me more as a ‘finisher', but I don't believe I can only play that role. I can bat anywhere. I've batted in the powerplay in domestic cricket and for India. I've scored all three of my fifties in the powerplay," Rinku said to the Times of India.

His last T20I fifty came against Bangladesh in the second match of the home series in 2024. He also spoke about how much it means to be part of the current Indian T20 setup, especially at a time when competition for places is arguably at an all-time high.

"Everyone feels good when their name is included. Getting into this Team India is very important. Playing the World Cup for the country is a matter of destiny. When a player is left out, it is usually due to team combinations. Sometimes, because the combinations do not work out, a player does not get a place," said Rinku.

In 2025, he featured in five T20Is, but did not get a chance to bat in two of those matches. His most recent innings came in the Asia Cup final 2025, where he scored the winning runs. Despite the limited opportunities, the player believes his omissions were largely due to team combinations and insists that such situations are not as demoralising as they may appear.

"Many things happen because of preferred team combinations. One should not worry," Rinku said.