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Rinku Singh has been appointed the captain of the Uttar Pradesh team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is scheduled to start on December 21. This will be the first time that 26-year-old Rinku Singh will lead a senior state team as he has previously led Meerut Mavericks to win the title in the UP T20 League. He is taking over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had captained the team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In the process, Rinku will be eager to see Uttar Pradesh bag their second Vijay Hazare Trophy. The team won the last edition in 2016.
How Rinku Became the Skipper
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Rinku has consistently played well and it is during limited-overs cricket that he has earned the opportunities for the big knocks. His leadership experience in the UP T20 League has been pivotal in his growth as a cricketer, and he sees this opportunity as a significant step in his career. Reflecting on his leadership experience, Rinku shared, “Leading in the UP T20 League was a big opportunity for me. I learned a lot and even experimented with bowling off-spin, as current cricket demands a complete player.”
As the captain of Uttar Pradesh, Rinku acknowledges the increased responsibility. “Now that I’m leading UP, I’m fully prepared and focused. My job is to ensure that the team is ready to compete and bring back the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” he said.
IPL and Future Plans
This comes at a time when Rinku’s IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, would be mulling its captaincy options for the 2025 season. However, he has vowed to not deviate from his task. “I am not even thinking about the IPL captaincy at the moment. For me, it is first things first, to assist Uttar Pradesh in winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy for a second time,” he said, referring to the team’s last triumph in the 2015-16 season.
Though the opportunity to assess players for the Champions Trophy of 2024 has been provided by Vijay Hazare Trophy, Rinku’s focus remains exclusively on the present assignments, for he has been consistent in Indian T20I squad since this year’s World Cup and has made just two ODIs till now, for his debut also was last December in South Africa.
Exceptional Record in List-A
Rinku’s List-A career has been simply brilliant as 1,899 runs in 52 innings at an average of 48.69 with a strike rate of 94.8. That is one century and 17 half-centuries for which he has shown consistency along with the ability to come out good under pressure. Still, Rinku doesn’t see the Vijay Hazare Trophy as a means of proving himself. Rather, he believes in hard work and destiny.
I remember when I hit five sixes in a row in the IPL last year, I never thought that would land me a place in the Indian team. That was a turning point in my life,” said Rinku. He further added, “I have faith in God. If something is meant for me, I will get it, but I know I have to continue working hard.
Uttar Pradesh’s Campaign
Rinku will captain Uttar Pradesh in their first match against Jammu and Kashmir on December 21. After that, the team will play against Mizoram (December 23), Tamil Nadu (December 26), Chhattisgarh (December 28), Chandigarh (December 31), and Vidarbha (January 3), with all the matches scheduled to be played in Visakhapatnam. With Rinku as their captain, Uttar Pradesh will look to regain the glory of their 2016 Vijay Hazare Trophy win.
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