WATCH: Rinku Singh’s light-hearted apology for breaking press box glass during maiden T20I fifty in Gqeberha | Cricket News
A chuckle and an apology was what India’s new T20 batting sensation Rinku Singh offered for his fiery six off South Africa captain Aiden Markram in the second T20I on Tuesday. The shot that was the talk of the town, the one with which he managed to crack open the media box glass.
“When I hit that shot I didn’t know the glass had broken, it was only afterwards that I was told the same. Uske liye sorry,” Rinku said in a recent video from The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Maiden international FIFTY 👌Chat with captain @surya_14kumar 💬… and that glass-breaking SIX 😉@rinkusingh235 sums up his thoughts post the 2⃣nd #SAvIND T20I 🎥🔽 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/Ee8GY7eObW
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 13, 2023
Coming in to bat in the powerplay, earlier than most are used to watching him in Indian colors, Rinku was the chief orchestrator of the Indian innings as he scored a maiden international fifty – 68 off 39 deliveries. An innings laced with nine fours and two monstrous maximums, both off the South African skipper’s penultimate over.
Speaking about his innings in Gqeberha, Rinku elaborated, “When I went in to bat, it was a tough situation as three of our wickets had fallen. Surya bhai was telling me, ‘Play the way you have so far. Take your time.’ He (Surya) asked me to keep believing in myself. He calmed me when I wasn’t able to middle the ball in the beginning. And I did just that. It was tough to read the wicket at first but as I played a few deliveries it all started coming together well.”
After India lost three wickets for 55, Rinku added 70 runs for the fourth wicket alongside Suryakumar Yadav, who notched 56 off 36 deliveries.
Despite India putting up what seemed like a par score, South Africa batters managed to chase down 152 in the 15-over chase shortened owing to showers and take 1-0 lead with just one game left in the series. The two teams will next lock horns on Thursday at Johannesburg.
