India vs Australia: 'He told me to stay calm', Rinku Singh reveals how MS Dhoni's advice helped him in 1st T20I

Rinku Singh once again showcased his nerve of steel as he efficiently finished the game for India — ensuring the hosts chased down a 209-run target against Australia in the first T20I on Thursday. Rinku’s is 22-run cameo off 14 balls, played a crucial role in India chasing down an imposing target. Throughout his innings, Rinku demonstrated composure, contributing four boundaries with well-timed shots and assisting his captain Suryakumar Yadav in the last-over drama.

“It’s nice that our team won the match. When I went in to bat, it was the perfect setting for me. I have been in similar situations before and it felt good playing with Surya. With 4 overs needed and 40 runs required, I was thinking of staying calm and trying to take it deep until the last over,” Rinku said after the match in a video posted by BCCI.

The MSD touch behind Rinku Singh’s ice cool finish

Do not miss the that includes a perfect GIF describing #TeamIndia‘s win

WATCH – By @28anand | #INDvAUShttps://t.co/MbyHYkiCco

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 24, 2023

What stood out about Rinku Singh’s innings was that he never hacked across the line and even the last ball that was creamed over the boundary for a maximum showed his ability to assess the situation and react as per the delivery and field placement. There were no blind hits or experimental shots; instead, he adeptly maneuvered the ball into the gaps. Rinku also spoke about how MS Dhoni spoke about taking the game till the last over and then staying calm and executing plans.

IND vs AUS: SKY leads from the front, Rinku Singh the finisher and other takeaways from first T20I

Despite the dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku continued to maintain the tempo, hitting two crucial boundaries in the 19th and 20th overs.

These proved invaluable when the match entered the last over. Rinku was unfazed with the wickets of Axar, Ravi Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh and finished the match for India.

“I spoke with Mahi (MS Dhoni) bhai and asked him how to react in the last over. He told me to stay calm, and look to hit straight and not pre-meditate. This is what I tried to do,” Rinku added.

This was also the highest target chased down by India in T20Is and should give this young team a lot of confidence going forward.