It is a by-product of Rinku Singh’s growing utility in white-ball cricket as a hard-hitting batter and agile fielder that he isn’t always available for Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy. This season, for instance, the left-hand batter cracked an unbeaten 165 against Andhra in the competition’s opening round before embarking on a tour of Australia with India for five T20Is.
But whenever the 28-year-old is available for UP in First-Class cricket, he is a reassuringly robust presence in the middle-order as an average above 57 testifies. That much was reiterated on day three of UP’s Elite Group-A Ranji clash against Tamil Nadu at the Sri Ramakrishna College ground on Tuesday as Rinku produced a chanceless knock of 98 n.o. (156b, 9×4, 3×6) to lead the visitors to 339 for six in 113 overs.
He was assisted by Shivam Mavi, who contributed 54 (62b, 7×4, 1×6) in a sixth-wicket partnership of 104. With TN notching up 455 in its first innings, however, it still has a lead of 106 runs to guard.
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If not for Rinku’s fine effort – he struck the ball as sweetly as the peal of a church bell — R. Sai Kishore and Co. may have pocketed a healthy lead by this stage . Left-arm spinner P. Vidyuth was the most eye-catching of TN’s bowlers on a day where the clouds played hide-and-seek, picking up the wickets of Abhishek Goswami, Aryan Juyal and Karan Sharma in 18 overs whilst conceding just 48 runs. Curiously, the tweaker wasn’t used after the 77th over, leaving the 25-year-old idle on the field in the third session altogether.
The diminutive southpaw from Aligarh took charge thereafter. One of his three maximums brought up his half-century, shimmying down the track to deposit Sai Kishore over the long-on boundary. The direction that this game takes will be likely determined by his duel against the TN bowlers on the final day. Who will blink first?
The scores:
Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 455.
Uttar Pradesh — 1st innings: Abhishek Goswami lbw b Vidyuth 79, Madhav Kaushik b Sai Kishore 21, Aryan Juyal b Vidyuth 43, Karan Sharma c & b Vidyuth 11, Rinku Singh (batting) 98, Aaradhya Yadav c Jagadeesan b Saravanakumar 4, Shivam Mavi c Jagadeesan b Saravanakumar 54, Shivam Sharma (batting) 18; Extras (b-8, lb-3): 11; Total (for six wickets. in 113 overs): 339.
Fall of wickets: 1-73, 2-148, 3-149, 4-182, 5-191, 6-295.
TN bowling: Warrier 26-5-90-0, Saravanakumar 19-2-63-2, Sai Kishore 33-5-75-1, Sonu 14-3-47-0, Vidyuth 18-3-48-3, Pradosh 3-1-5-0.
Published on Nov 18, 2025