The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the perfect breeding ground for cricketing talents in India. Over the years, many players have come, made a name for themselves in the T20 league, and gone on to make their international debuts. A new rising star who is knocking on the national team's doors is Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Rinku Singh. With his 'Five Sixes' feat against Gujarat Titans, Rinku is making the noise for national selection. But, a surprising fact is that he hasn't even made his India A debut yet.
India A is a platform that gives high-potential players a channel to showcase their quality and learn from the exposure of playing different international sides across the world. Rinku, who has been giving glimpses of his potential over the last two years in the IPL, is yet to feature in the India A team.
While there's no denying that the competition for places in Indian cricket is extreme, it isn't like Rinku never had the opportunity to take up a spot in the India A squad. In fact, back in 2019, Rinku was selected for the India A squad, which was to play Sri Lanka A in an unofficial Test series.
Rinku's joy, however, didn't last long as the player was suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for taking part in an overseas T20 tournament without prior permission.
The Uttar Pradesh-born Rinku had featured for Deccan Gladiators in Abu Dhabi's Ramadan T20 Cup, scoring 361 runs at an average of 51.57 and a strike rate of 176, as per Wisden. While he was among the top performers in the league, in playing for the franchise, he broke the BCCI rule that led to his suspension.
In a statement, the BCCI had said then: "Rinku Singh has been suspended with immediate effect for a period of three months starting June 1, 2019. He has been removed from the current India 'A' squad set to play a multi-day game against Sri Lanka 'A' starting May 31, 2019. The BCCI will not tolerate such violations in the future and strict actions will be taken if a player is found violating the BCCI rules and regulations.
However, Rinku learned his lesson and dedicated himself to Indian competitions to avoid a repeat of such a scenario.
With the experience of 40 First-Class games under his belt and Indian Premier League heroics, Rinku has certainly given his India A ambitions a big boost.