Ashish Nehra names five players who can put Rinku Singh's T20 World Cup 2024 spot in danger

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Ashish Nehra has reckoned that Rinku Singh is a strong contender to feature in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad but will face stiff competition from as many as five players including KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer.

Rinku Singh impressed with his finishing abilities once again in the 5-match T20I series against Australia which India won by a 4-1 margin on Sunday. The 26-year-old scored 105 runs in five matches at an average of 52.50 and a strike rate of 175.

"There is no doubt that Rinku Singh is a contender for inclusion in India's T20 World Cup squad," the former left-arm pacer told JioCinema.

"But the World Cup is still far away and the spot he's fighting for has many challengers."

Rinku Singh has played some game-changing knocks in the Australia T20Is. The southpaw's 31 not out from nine balls played a big role in India's 44-run win in the second T20I at Thiruvananthapuram.

With no clarity on whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be in India's scheme of things for the global showpiece, there could be major changes in India T20I squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 and Rinku could emerge as a leading contender for the finisher's role.

"You can look at Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper-batter) and Tilak Varma. We'll have to discuss the positions where Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya will play," the cricketer-turned-commentator said.

"So, we have to see how many spots are available in the 15-member squad. But one thing is sure, he (Rinku) has opened everyone's eyes and put everyone under pressure. But there's still a lot of time to go. The trip to South Africa is coming up followed by the IPL," averred Nehra.

Rinku Singh was recently named in India's T20I and ODI squad for the South Africa tour which starts with the first T20I on Decemeber 10.