2 min readUpdated: Mar 21, 2026 07:57 PM IST
Rinku Singh’s returns in the last couple of seasons have been underwhelming for the Kolkata Knight Riders after his 2023 season, where he made a name for himself as a finisher. Last season, at times, he did not get enough opportunities to bat, and when the chances came, he could not make the most of them. Former Indian cricketer R Ashwin suggested that Rinku should bat at four for Kolkata.
“KKR are a little but stuck, aren’t they? They have bought Cameron Green, he will play in the top three, or will he have to play at No.4? If I was KKR, I would be saying Rinku Singh at No.4. If two wickets fall in the powerplay, then you can always push Green inside the powerplay. But post the six over mark, Rinku Singh should be given such a chance where he can play for 4-5 overs, and then take on the bowlers,” R Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“It has to be a season where Rinku Singh has to do more volume of runs than in the past. Rinku Singh should be given responsibility. He can bat well, he scores big hundreds in the Ranji Trophy as well. I think there is an opportunity for KKR to push Rinku, give him a larger role. I think KKR have resources to surprise teams even when they are not at their best,” he added.
“We will have to see how much opportunity he gets to play. His 2023 season was outstanding. He scored 400-450 runs with a strike rate of 150. But after that, his performance dipped, and many times he didn’t get enough opportunities. He will have to maintain his standard and maximize the opportunities he gets. Even in the World Cup, he played five matches, but he couldn’t fully capitalize on the chances he got. This is another problem that Kolkata needs to rectify, and Rinku Singh is one of them,” other former cricketer Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
