Suryakumar had informed me to be ready for bowling: Rinku Singh

With just 11 runs required in two overs in the third T20I against Sri Lanka, newly-appointed T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav handed the bowl to Rinku Singh to bowl the penultimate over despite Khaleel Ahmed and Mohammed Siraj having an over remaining. Sri Lanka was the favorites to get the job done but interestingly, Rinku dismissed Kusal Perera and Ramesh Mendis, giving away just three runs.

Suryakumar bowled the final over as the match ended on level terms. India won in the Super Over, sealing the series 3-0. After the game, Rinku revealed that the captain had informed him to be prepared for bowling in the series but he said that he did not expect to bowl at such a crucial point of the game. The 26-year-old added that he has experience of bowling in domestic cricket and once he started doing that, he got his mojo back.

“I have scalped quite some wickets in domestic cricket, and I even have a wicket in ODIs. Surya had informed me to be ready for bowling in the series. Although I did not bowl in the run-up to this game, Surya bhai had asked me to keep rehearsing my bowling. I did not expect to be asked to bowl during the game, as the situation was quite tight. But, he asked me to roll my arm over. And, once I began bowling, it was God’s plan – two wickets,” Rinku said in a video posted on the BCCI website.

It was a great decision by Surya to bring in Rinku: Washington Sundar

All-rounder Washington Sundar lauded Suryakumar for showing the courage to bring in Rinku in the 19th over. He revealed that the players find it difficult to face him in the nets and was happy that he could do it on the international stage.

“It was a great decision by Surya to bring in Rinku. He makes things very difficult for us when he bowls in the nets, and now, he’s shown that in this game as well,” Sundar said.