Rinku Singh during IND vs NZ from January, 2026. PC- AFPRinku Singh has been one of the rare players in the Indian cricket who not only can finish the game but can also revive an innings when needed. Although he is currently out of India's T20I plans, the left-hander has opened up about his ambitions to become an all-format player. Rinku was with Team India during their 2026 T20 World Cup triumph, but he was dropped after the Super 8 loss to South Africa. Sanju Samson slotted in for the southpaw, who scored just 24 runs in five innings at a below-par strike rate of 82.76. Meanwhile, the 28-year-old toured Zimbabwe earlier in July, but he has not been picked for the Asian Games 2026 or included in the T20I squad for home matches vs West Indies. Rinku Singh opens up on red-ball ambitionsAmidst the T20I snub, Rinku Singh has opened up about having red-ball ambitions as well as becoming an all-format player for India. The Uttar Pradesh batter, who has a stupendous domestic record in longer formats, is only looked at as a white-ball batter by the national selectors, mainly as a T20I specialist. It is because he unleashed a once-in-a-lifetime finish in IPL 2024, hitting five sixes off the final six deliveries by Gujarat Titans’ Yash Dayal. Also Read: Naman Dhir Can Threaten These India Stars' T20I Spots Amid Red-Hot FormSpeaking on his red-ball ambitions, Rinku told ANI, "There is a bit of that perception that I'm just a one-format player. But you can look at my average in domestic cricket, whether it is in one-dayers or four-day matches. I have a dream of playing Test cricket for India as well. So, people should not view me as a single-format player. I can play all three formats, and I do play all three formats in domestic cricket. But for India, I play only one format at the moment."'T20I Specialist' Rinku Singh's stupendous stats in longer formatsRinku Singh has played 48 T20Is, scoring 702 runs for the Men in Blue. Meanwhile, he has featured in just two ODI fixtures, both during his maiden tour with the one-day team in 2023. Although he is often seen as a finisher best suited to the shortest format, the KKR star batter is much more than that. He has a sensational record in First-Class Cricket, averaging a healthy 58.70. After 53 matches, the left-handed batter has racked up 3757 runs, with a best of 176, including nine centuries and 23 fifties. Moreover, in 70 List-A games, he has scored 2418 runs at 52.56, including two tons and 21 half-centuries.Bigger things loading for Rinku Singh?It’s not that Rinku Singh is completely out of BCCI’s plans for the longer formats. He recently played for the Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026, where he notched a half-century in his sole outing against the East Zone.Meanwhile, the KKR vice-captain also showed his leadership, leading Meerut Mavericks to their second successive title in the UP T20 League. With back-to-back triumphs under Rinku Singh, he could also be considered KKR’s next captain, especially after Ajinkya Rahane’s exit. Also Read: Arab Gul's Record-Breaking Spell Makes Japan Surrender To Afghanistan After Stunning India
