• Home
  • Player Stories
  • Gqeberha Miracle When Ice Cool Rinku Singh Silenced South Africa With An Unbeaten 68

Gqeberha miracle! When 'Ice-Cool' Rinku Singh silenced South Africa with an unbeaten 68

Poulomi Chakraborty

Rinku Singh's exceptional knock against South Africa (Source: AFP Photos)Rinku Singh's exceptional knock against South Africa (Source: AFP Photos)

There is no final word in cricket, as every ball writes its own story, and in T20s, each delivery becomes a weapon, sparking an adrenaline rush like fire. As Team India is facing South Africa in an ODI series, another exciting T20I series is lined up to take the thrills higher.

With the T20I series just days away, India’s squad is out, and one big shock has everyone talking. Rinku Singh has been snubbed from the squad, which has raised eyebrows.

Just two years back, Rinku Singh lit up South Africa with one of his fiercest T20I innings. Rinku’s fiery unbeaten innings put the Proteas on the back foot. Let’s relive his heroics on challenging South African soil.

India falters under pressure but Rinku roars in with a lion’s heart

In the T20s, it's not all about the fast-paced action, explosive shots, and last-ball finishes that keep fans on the edge of their seats. Sometimes a player rose under pressure and became a hero in the game. But with Rinku Singh in the middle, India suddenly looked fearless, because he turned crunch moments into pure magic.

Two years back, in 2023, when India travelled to South Africa, the world saw Rinku Singh in a beast finisher’s role. Batting first, Yashasvi Jaiswal opened with Shubman Gill, but the red-hot Protea attack sent both of them back for ducks.

Tilak Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav tried to steady things, but Coetzee struck again, removing Tilak on 29 and deepening the crisis. Losing three wickets in just 55 runs, India was reeling and needed a turnaround, then Rinku Singh arrived.

Joining the captain in the crucial moment, Rinku swung his bat high from the beginning. When South African bowlers eyed domination, Rinku defied all odds with sheer perfection.

Dominating the Proteas, the batter completed a well-deserved half-century in just 30 balls, and the opponent felt his fury. A significant 70-run partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh gave a huge boost to India’s total.

After SKY’s dismissal, India lost consecutive wickets, but Rinku stood tall with an unbeaten knock of 68 runs in 39 balls with nine boundaries and two over-boundaries. Depending on the heroics, India put on a total of 180 runs.

After the rain interrupted the game, South Africa chased down the revised total and secured a five-wicket victory. The Proteas may have grabbed the match, but one thing remained unforgettable; Rinku Singh’s heroics still towered above it all.

After two years, Team India is set to face the Proteas in the shortest format once again, but they will step into the field without Rinku Singh. His surprise snub shocked the world, especially with the T20 World Cup around the corner. If crunch moments arrive in the series, everyone will still remember Rinku’s unforgettable unbeaten 68 that lit up South Africa.