India call-up is not far away for Rinku Singh: Harbhajan

NEW DELHI: Former spinner Harbhajan Singh is expecting young Kolkata Knight Riders left-hander Rinku Singh to earn the India cap in the shortest format sooner than later after his exploits in the current edition of the Indian Premier League.

With 337 runs at a strike rate of 151 in 11 games, the diminutive left-hander has made a name for himself as a finisher.

He performed well when his team chased the targets, including a game where he hit statemate Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes in a game against Gujarat Titans.

In the recent past, he paired with Andre Russell to win another close game against Punjab Kings. ''That India cap is not far away from Rinku's head. He's such an inspirational player. He's run all the hard yards and worked very hard to get to where he is today. Full credit to him for having that belief in himself. His journey is a life lesson and all young kids should learn from him,'' Harbhajan told Star Sports.

Another former India player Mohammed Kaif seconded Harbhajan's view. ''Rinku Singh has that maturity. His footwork is very good and he looks to rotate the strike as well. Rinku knows how to convert his form into good knocks and also knows when to shift gears. He is capable of hitting big shots as well.'' India is scheduled to play five T20 games in the West Indies and the USA in July and three each against Afghanistan (home) and Ireland (away).

Rinku, along with Tilak Verma and Jitesh Sharma are all in the reckoning for national selection.