Rinku Singh, Team India’s T20I finisher, has apologized for smashing the media box glass at St George’s Park in Gqeberha during his batting stint in Tuesday’s second T20I against South Africa.
In a rain-soaked encounter, the Men in Blue were defeated by the Proteas by five wickets [under the DLS method], but Rinku Singh shone once again, hitting 68* off 39 balls. He knocked out nine fours and two sixes. One of his maximums off Aiden Markram’s bowling caused a large shatter in the media box glass.
In a video shared on BCCI’s official X Twitter, the hard-hitting left-handed hitter indicated that he was unaware of the occurrence and apologized innocently upon learning of it.
“When I hit that shot for six, I did not know that the glass broke. I came to know of it now. Uske liye sorry [Sorry for that].”
Rinku Singh
After losing the toss, India batted first in the second T20I and produced 180/7 in 19.3 overs when their innings was called off due to rain. The Men in Blue got off to a bad start, as both openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill were out for ducks.
Tilak Varma (29 off 20 balls) and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (56 off 36 balls) raised the Indian innings before Rinku Singh supplied the fireworks once again at the death. Their efforts, however, were in vain, as South Africa set a revised goal of 152 in 15 overs and won in 13.5 overs.
“At the start, I was finding it a bit tough” – Rinku Singh
While the 26-year-old finished with a strike rate of over 175, he said that he struggled at first to judge the wicket. Rinku Singh thanked skipper Suryakumar for his support, telling him to be cool and play his natural game.
“When I went in to bat, we had lost three wickets, so it was a bit tough. When I was playing with Surya bhai, the chat was that, ‘keeping playing the way you are doing. Play your natural game’. I took my time at the start because I was finding it a bit tough to understand the wicket. After playing a few balls, I got set and then the big hits started coming.”
“He [Surya] told me, keep playing the way you have been told. Have belief in yourself. As I said, at the start, I wasn’t able to bat as well, but he told me to stay calm, the big hits will come. And, as you saw, it worked out well later.”
Rinku Singh
On Thursday, December 14, the third and last Twenty20 international match of the series will take place at Johannesburg’s New Wanderers Stadium.