Rinku Singh wrapped up India’s commanding win in the fifth T20I against New Zealand, taking the final wicket as India closed out a 4-1 series victory at the Greenfield International Stadium. His breakthrough came in the penultimate over, when a tidy off-break delivered the decisive blow that sent the tail back to the pavilion and ended New Zealand’s chase.
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The dismissal in context
With New Zealand already out of the match, Rinku was asked to bowl the final over. After Jacob Duffy took a single on first ball, Ish Sodhi welcomed him with a big six. He then played a dot before miscuing his wild swing on the 4th delivery. The ball went high into the air but straight into the hands of Arshdeep Singh standing at point. Ish Sodhi's cameo of 33 off 15 ended, as the wicket completed India’s defence of a formidable 271 and confirmed the 46-run margin of victory. The match had already swung India’s way after a power-packed Ishan Kishan century and a five-wicket haul from Arshdeep Singh.
Rinku’s evolving role as all-rounder
The last wicket took Rinku’s T20I tally to three, a notable uptick for a player primarily known as a finisher with the bat. His occasional off-spin has been deployed sparingly, but this mini 4-ball spell showed how his bowling can be valuable in specific match moments, especially when India is looking for an off-spin option. Rinku’s current bowling returns are modest but meaningful given the match situations in which they arrived, having turned the game with his bowling against Sri Lanka in 2024.
Batting returns in the series
Beyond his bowling cameo, Rinku contributed with the bat across the series, producing the kind of late-innings hitting that has made him a go-to finisher. He scored a quickfire 44 not out in the first game after his recall, showcasing his ability to close out matches and accelerate against older balls, a trait India will treasure in the compressed overs of World Cup games. His series batting reinforced the dual-value case: he remains first and foremost a specialist batter who can finish games, with bowling as a secondary but useful skill. He has also proven to be a valuable fielder for India, taking some superb catches while being positioned in critical positions on the field.
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All eyes on T20 World Cup 2026
India’s 4-1 series win over New Zealand ended on a high: complete team batting, incisive pace bowling, and helpful contributions from all the players. The final T20I in Thiruvananthapuram doubled as a rehearsal for the challenges of the World Cup: handling pressure, closing out chases, and squeezing value from unexpected quarters. Rinku leaves the series with increased selection currency, not as a frontline spinner but as a finish-first batter who can be trusted with a few critical overs when the situation demands it & team's most important fielder.
