Reports: Rinku Singh, other youngsters to be flown for Ireland T20Is

Rinku Singh and other top-notch performers of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, who did not get an opportunity in the West Indies T20I series, will be getting a chance in Ireland as per reports. The new selection committee under Ajit Agarkar announced a 15-member squad for the West Indies T20I series, with Rinku’s name missing even as the likes of Tilak Varma and Yashasvi Jaiswal were included. It is likely that selectors are not willing to give the chance to all new players in one single series. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s selection is also expected for the upcoming Ireland series as both Rinku and Gaikwad performed well in IPL 2023. Rinku’s finishing ability impressed everyone and he scored 474 runs in the 14 games he played, while CSK opener Gaikwad played a crucial role in his team lifting the trophy, scoring 590 runs in 16 matches.

“Rinku and other players who did well in the IPL will fly to Ireland as the selection committee doesn’t want to try everyone at one stage. There are seven players of the Indian ODI team who are not going to play T20 as those players are key for us going ahead as they will be playing Asia Cup in late August,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

It is pertinent to note that senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not been named in the squad for the West Indies T20I series as India are looking at new players for 2023 T20 World Cup after their group stage exit in 2021 followed by semifinal loss in 2022. The new selection committee has also asked BCCI to arrange more ‘A’ tours so they can select and loop in upcoming talents in the senior team. 

India are are set to play two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is against the West Indies before travelling to Ireland. The Men in Blue played an exciting series against the Irish side last year, where they clean swept the two-game T20I series under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya. They will play three T20Is in August.