In a run chase, captain Rinku Singh rallies Meerut Mavericks from 54 for 4, then becomes the finisher once more with a 35-ball 48 following the Duleep Trophy rejection.

 Middle-order batter Rinku Singh played a crucial role for the Meerut Mavericks in their successful run chase against the Kanpur Superstars in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh T20 League. Leading from the front, Rinku formed a strong partnership with wicketkeeper-batter Uvaish Ahmed, combining for an unbeaten 100-run stand for the fifth wicket. Chasing a target of 153 runs, the pair's efforts helped Meerut Mavericks secure a comfortable victory by six wickets, with 14 balls remaining.

In a run chase, captain Rinku Singh rallies Meerut Mavericks from 54 for 4, then becomes the finisher once more with a 35-ball 48 following the Duleep Trophy rejection.

Earlier in the match, leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari was the standout performer for Meerut Mavericks, taking five wickets while conceding only 26 runs in his four-over spell. His impressive bowling dismantled the Kanpur Superstars' middle order. Despite some resistance, Kanpur Superstars managed to post a total of 152/8, with Adarsh Singh playing an aggressive role. However, their key player Shoaib Siddiqui fell cheaply, and Shaurya Singh was dismissed after a promising start. Ansari’s first significant breakthrough came when he dismissed a well-set Ansari, who scored 73 runs off 48 balls, including six fours and three sixes. 

The Meerut Mavericks' bowling attack continued to dominate with Mohsin Khan making an early breakthrough, dismissing Akshay Dubey for a two-ball duck. Swastik Chikara and Madhav Kaushik utilized the powerplay effectively, scoring 23 off 13 balls and 25 off 19 balls respectively. However, their progress was halted when Rishabh Rajput took two crucial wickets in quick succession. Aquib Khan then added to Kanpur’s woes by dismissing Rituraj Sharma in the seventh over.

At 54/4, Meerut Mavericks were in a precarious position when Rinku Singh and Uvaish Ahmed came to the crease. Displaying great composure and skill, the pair guided their team towards the target. Uvaish scored 48 runs off 34 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes, while Rinku matched his teammate’s score with 48 runs off 35 deliveries, studded with four fours and one six.

With this win, their second of the tournament, Meerut Mavericks climbed to the top of the points table. In their opening match, they had defeated Kashi Rudras by seven wickets, successfully chasing down a target of 101 runs in just nine overs, with Rinku finishing the chase with a six.

However, despite his recent performances, Rinku Singh was a surprising omission from the Duleep Trophy 2024 squads. The 26-year-old has an impressive First-Class cricket average of 54.70, with 3,173 runs in 69 innings, including seven centuries and 20 half-centuries. Following this exclusion from the domestic tournament, Rinku is set to feature in the T20I series against Bangladesh in October.