‘Last time we won it was 2011’: Rinku Singh wants Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to win 2027 ODI World Cup for India

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (Image credit: AFP) NEW DELHI: Rinku Singh is hopeful that veteran stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup and help India win the coveted trophy. The middle-order batter also wants to move beyond the perception of being a one-format player and earn a Test cap for India.Rinku has played two ODIs and 48 T20Is so far. He was also part of India’s victorious campaign in the 2026 T20 World Cup at home earlier this year.

“The whole nation hopes to play in the World Cup”

Rinku wants Kohli and Rohit to be part of India’s 2027 ODI World Cup campaign and believes their presence would be special for the team and the country.“They are legends, both Virat bhaiya and Rohit bhaiya. Not only me but the whole nation is hoping that they will play in the World Cup and be part of the team that wins it.”“It would be a huge moment for the whole country, who knows, it could be their last World Cup. So it would be huge for India if they can win it. It would be huge for them too because we haven’t won the World Cup in a long time. The last time we won it was in 2011. So we hope both of them will be with the team and lift the trophy,” JioStar Rinku said.

Rinku wants to be known for winning the World Cup

Rinku rose to fame after hitting five consecutive sixes in an over during an IPL 2023 match for Kolkata Knight Riders against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.But the batsman wants his career to be remembered for more than just one moment.“Right now, people know me for hitting those five sixes in one. Right now, I mean, I want to win the World Cup for Team India, be part of the team, contribute with the bat and help India win the World Cup. I want people to know me for more than just five sixes.”

“I can play all three formats”

Rinku has established himself as a reliable finisher in T20 cricket. However, he was left out of the Indian squads after the Zimbabwe tour in July.Keen to dispel the notion that he is purely a white-ball specialist, the batsman pointed to his domestic record in both one-day and four-day cricket.“The way I see it is that I’m only a one-format player. But you can look at my average in domestic cricket, whether it’s one-dayers or four-dayers. I have a dream to play Test cricket for India as well.“So people shouldn’t think of me as a one-format player. I can play all three formats and I play all three formats in domestic cricket. But for India, I am playing only one format at the moment.”

Rinku is learning the ropes of a captain

Rinku also spoke about his development as a leader and said that he is still learning from veteran captains in domestic and franchise cricket.“I am still growing in terms of captaincy. I captained the UP league and became champions with my team. I was the vice-captain in the IPL last season.”“So I’m learning the ropes of captaincy, a little bit from Ajju bhai (Ajinkya Rahane) at KKR and many others. I played a lot with Surya bhai, so I watched him for two years in the Indian team and watched him lead. I’m working on my leadership skills and hopefully something good will come of captaincy.”

‘It’s all God’s blessing’

Rinku also reflected on his journey from humble beginnings to becoming an Indian cricketer.He said looking back at his past keeps him grounded.“When I look back at where I started, I didn’t have much and now I’ve gotten here. The fact that there was a time when I had nothing, no money, still runs through my mind.”“Whenever I do something good, I remember where I was and how far I’ve come from there. It’s all God’s blessing. So I always look back at how far I’ve come,” he concluded.