Former T20 and ODI world cup winning cricketer Harbhajan Singh praised Rinku Singh for his brilliant knock of 44 runs off 20 balls in the first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21. Rinku returned to the playing XI after being named in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad and made a strong impact as a finisher. India won the match by 48 runs.

Rinku came back into the team after Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma were dropped at the last moment by the selectors. He came in to bat after Shivam Dube was out for nine runs in the 14th over. Rinku hit four fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 220 and helped India reach a big total of 238/7.

Harbhajan praised Rinku for making good use of his chances and performing under pressure. 

“Rinku Singh’s performance deserves praise. The poor guy got a chance after a long time, and he made full use of it. He is a very hardworking player and never wastes an opportunity. Whenever he plays, he wins hearts,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

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Rinku Singh’s Late Firepower Seals the Match

Rinku Singh once again impressed with an unbeaten 44 runs off just 20 balls. His fast scoring helped India reach a huge total of 238/7.

His hitting in the final over was very important. Rinku scored 21 runs in the 20th over, hitting two fours and two sixes. With this, he also matched a record held by MS Dhoni. India went on to win the match by 48 runs.

During his knock, Abhishek Sharma also completed 5,000 runs in T20 cricket. He became the fastest batter to reach this mark, doing it in just 2,898 balls. He broke the previous record held by Andre Russell.

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Harbhajan Also Praises Abhishek Sharma

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh also praised Abhishek Sharma for his selfless mindset and team-first approach. He said Abhishek cared more about the team’s success than his personal records.

Abhishek played a brilliant knock of 84 runs off 35 balls. He hit five fours and eight sixes at a strike rate of 240. He was close to scoring his third T20I hundred but got out while trying to attack Ish Sodhi, even after hitting three boundaries in the same over.

“Abhishek Sharma could have easily scored a hundred, but he chose not to slow down. He decided to keep playing attacking shots, even if it meant getting out. This shows his mindset. He did not think about himself but about the team. Whenever he scores a fifty, India wins. He is a superstar, and bowlers have no answers against him,” Harbhajan said.