Rinku Singh Added To India A Squad For 2nd Match Vs England Lions 

image-lrptu3i4Rinku Singh [X.com]

In a clear sign of his rising red-ball prospects, India's limited-overs maverick Rinku Singh was added to India A's squad for the second match of the ongoing four-day series against the visiting England Lions side on Tuesday (January 23). 

The Uttar Pradesh aggressor, who was due to join the squad by the third four-day clash in Ahmedabad, has been asked to leave his Ranji Trophy duties early and travel to Motera for the second game also. 

Notably, the decision comes one day after the BCCI decided not to immediately name a replacement for the Indian No. 4 following Virat Kohli's decision to withdraw from the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam due to "personal reasons." 


Rinku Joins India A Squad Early 

Despite his tremendous white-ball feats for India's T20I side and in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rinku's selection in the red-ball set-up shouldn't take anyone by surprise. The young aggressor has been a consistent performer in first-class cricket for UP and averages 57.57 from 44 games.

The 26-year-old nearly produced a century upon his return to the Ranji Trophy early in the month versus Kerala before he joined India's senior squad for the Afghanistan T20Is. His overall aggregate in first-class cricket stands at 3,109 runs with seven hundreds and twenty fifties.

Apart from his prolific ways as a middle-order batter for UP, the Indian left-hander has time and again exhibited his strong temperament and zeal in playing the strenuous end-over aggressor's role for India, which would've only impressed the selectors, who seem keen to see how he fairs if required with the Test team.

Besides Rinku, Madhya Pradesh right-hander Rajat Patidar, who made a remarkable 151 out of a team total of 227 in the first game for India A, and the prolific Mumbaikar Sarfaraz Khan are also in the race to become Kohli's replacement for the first two Tests amidst injury concerns with Ruturaj Gaikwad.