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[Watch] When Piyush Chawla Identified 17-Year-Old Rinku Singh As Future Superstar

image-lpzncuj0Rinku Singh in action for Team India (AP)

Rinku Singh’s unwavering ascent in international cricket has been truly remarkable. Mere months after making his T20I debut in Ireland, the left-handed middle-order batter stood tall at the winner’s podium of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, and found a place among India’s travelling troops for white-ball matches in South Africa.

His journey, as one can expect, has been a long and weary one.

Rinku made his competitive debut back in March 2014 through a List A game for Uttar Pradesh, under the guidance of 2011 World Cup winner Piyush Chawla.

Ahead of India’s tour opener against South Africa on December 10, Chawla recalled his first interaction with a 17-year-old Rinku, back during their time together in Uttar Pradesh during the 2014 Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Piyush Chawla recalls Rinku Singh debut

On the eve of India’s tour opener against South Africa, cricketer-cum-commentator Piyush Chawla recalled his first interaction with a 17-year-old Rinku Singh prior to the latter’s List A debut.

The Indian spinner said that at a time when he was leading Uttar Pradesh during the 2014 Vijay Hazare Trophy, he was introduced to a young Rinku by the then selectors. Chawla claimed that upon inspecting the youngster’s batting pedigree in the nets, he assured the latter of getting his List A debut during the tournament.

The spinner added that he also assured Rinku of a four-match rope, even if he failed to deliver with the bat on each of the four occasions. As it turned out, the batting marauder blasted a scintillating 83 on his debut itself, all while clattering a pace attack led by India’s then-first-choice speedster and Vidarbha legend Umesh Yadav.

Watch: Chawla recognized Rinku’s talent at a young age

Nine years later, Rinku Singh is now bracing himself for a potential ODI debut for Team India, on South African shores no less.

The ODI series between the two nations will commence on December 17 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.