IPL 2023: 3 reasons why Rinku Singh should bat higher up the order for KKR

In their fourth game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad by a score of 23 runs. On Friday night, the Nitish Rana-led team competed in Eden Gardens, their home ground, in a run-fest in which they lost. Harry Brook’s century put the hosts under pressure when they won the toss and decided to field first. His first IPL century helped his team to a massive total of 228/4, setting KKR a target of 229 runs.

While chasing a mammoth total of 229 runs, Knight Riders didn’t have a good start to the innings as they lost the first three wickets at a mere total of 20 runs inside the powerplay overs. After the fall of the first three wickets, Rana and Narayan Jagdeeshan built up a partnership. The batter from Tamil Nadu scored 36 runs off 21 balls with 5 fours and a six, whereas the Delhi-born cricketer scored 75 runs off 41 balls with 5 fours and 6 sixes.

In the end, the all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh, Rinku Singh scored 51 runs from 30 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes but that was not enough as the Knight Riders lost the game by 23 runs. There were several talking points for KKR in the loss, which was a close one for the hosts. One among them was the potential for Rinku to move up in the batting order.

Let’s look  at the three reasons why Rinku Singh should bat higher up the innings in the Indian Premier League 2023 for the Kolkata Knight Riders:

1. Rinku Singh can inject impetus into the innings

Rinku can be deadly against pacers and spinners thanks to his natural ability and aggressive shot selection. In this competition, his most remarkable shots have been against bowlers who bowl more quickly, but he also possesses the variety of strokes to deal with the majority of middle-order spinners. The fact that Rinku bats with his left hand also offers him an advantage in middle overs. Batting with a strike rate of 175 and an average of 78, KKR will want to offer one of their finest batters as many middle-order deliveries as they can.