Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, who had previously advocated for Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rinku Singh‘s inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad, has now made a surprising decision to leave him out of his own squad. Manjrekar had urged selectors not to overlook Rinku Singh’s potential and include him in the 15-man probables, citing his impressive batting performances despite limited opportunities.

Rinku Singh, who made his debut for India in a T20I against Ireland in 2023, has amassed 356 runs in 15 T20Is with a striking rate of 176.23. Known for his prowess in finishing matches, Rinku has been a valuable asset for Team India.

“I hope selectors won’t forget about Rinku Singh…”

“Because he’s not getting many opportunities, I hope selectors won’t forget about Rinku Singh. He’s a straight walk-in into the Indian team. Every time he has got the opportunity, you’ve seen how good he can be, in the sense of his consistency and the range that he has. He’s somebody who I like, apart from the core of the Indian team, apart from the big names we are thinking about,” Manjrekar said.

Even in the ongoing IPL season, Rinku has been instrumental in providing Kolkata Knight Riders with crucial runs in the death overs, despite facing limited deliveries.

Manjrekar’s move to make squad

In Manjrekar’s T20 World Cup squad, he has chosen Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Suryakumar Yadav as frontline batters. Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson have been selected for the wicketkeeping duties.

For all-rounders, Manjrekar has picked Ravindra Jadeja and Krunal Pandya, excluding Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have been included, along with pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan, and Mohammed Siraj. Additionally, uncapped pacers Mayank Yadav and Harshit Rana have also secured spots in Manjrekar’s 15-man squad.

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Sanjay Manjrekar’s squad for T20 WC 2024: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav, Krunal Pandya