"Deserves to be a part of the national team" - Kamran Akmal wants India to rope in Rinku Singh for T20I series vs West Indies

Pakistani keeper-batter Kamran Akmal believes that India should consider adding Rinku Singh to their T20I squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against West Indies.

Akmal pointed out how Rinku played some memorable knocks for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). He suggested that the southpaw deserved a national call-up following his impressive run.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Akmal said:

"Rinku Singh played many match-winning knocks for KKR in this IPL. I believe that he should surely be a part of India's T20I squad. He deserves to be a part of the national team."

Rinku Singh was one of the standout performers for KKR in IPL 2023, thriving in the role of a finisher. With 474 runs to his name at an average of 59.25 in 14 matches, he was the leading run-getter for Kolkata this season.

The left-handed batter's heroics against Gujarat Titans (GT) earned him a lot of recognition. With 29 runs required off the final over, he smashed five successive sixes off Yash Dayal's bowling to win the game for his team.

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"Suryakumar Yadav's selection in India's ODI squad was quite surprising" - Kamran Akmal

Commenting on India's recently announced squad for the three-match ODI series against West Indies, Kamran Akmal stated that he didn't expect Suryakumar Yadav to get another chance in the 50-over format.

He highlighted that the dynamic batter has had many chances, but has failed to make the most of them, adding:

"Suryakumar Yadav's selection in India's ODI squad was quite surprising. He has had a lot of opportunities. He is getting so many chances because India want to ensure that if some of their injured players don't get fit before the World Cup, they still have someone who has scored big runs in T20s."

While Suryakumar is currently ranked No. 1 in the ICC rankings for T20I batters, he is yet to prove his mettle in ODI cricket. The 32-year-old had a horrible ODI series against Australia earlier this year, bagging three golden ducks on the trot.