Rinku Singh was named India’s designated finisher in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) by the Indian Premier League (IPL), but it may now also decide his destiny in the run-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup. It’s like walking a tightrope without a net when you’re a finisher. Even if “inconsistency” is a part of the job, the batter for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cannot afford to make too many mistakes in the 2025 Indian Premier League, and he is responsible for his own mistakes.

One of the most difficult tasks in cricket is finishing games in the 20-over format. There are only a few balls to change the outcome in your team’s favor; there is no time to settle and no second chances. And the left-hander has previously accepted that pressure, which is why Rinku is where he is. But things haven’t gone as he would have liked over the past 12 months or so.

Yes, Rinku excelled at T20 cricket from 2021 to 2023, scoring 1,512 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 153.3 in 47 innings, most of which came while batting at No. 5 or below. Rinku played for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy during this time, averaging 60.2 and hitting 147.9.

Rinku had consecutive incredible seasons for KKR even in the IPL, scoring 648 runs with a strike rate of 149.3 and an average of nearly 50 runs across 21 innings. The 27-year-old won a lot of games that KKR and UP shouldn’t have. Rinku was dominating every task that was put in front of him, whether it was defeating Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj in several games or hitting Yash Dayal for five straight sixes in the 20th over.