Why Rinku Singh belongs at No. 5, not as a late finisher in IPL 2026

Rinku Singh’s numbers in both the IPL and overall T20 cricket strongly suggest that he is at his best at number 5, not as a pure “number 7 finisher”, so pushing him further down the order in IPL 2026 does not look like a wise move from a data point of view. At number 5 he scores more runs, at a better average, while still keeping a strong strike rate, which means he can both build an innings and finish it.

Rinku Singh, the “finisher” and the big over vs Yash Dayal

Rinku Singh first came into the national spotlight in a big way during IPL 2023, when he hit five sixes in the last five balls against Gujarat Titans’ left-arm pacer Yash Dayal to win a chase of 29 runs in the final over for Kolkata Knight Riders. That single over suddenly turned him into one of the most talked about T20 batters in the league and gave him the instant image of a last-over specialist.

Since then, many stories and analyses have spoken of Rinku Singh as one of the best finishers in the IPL and in T20 cricket, often placing him in the top bracket for the death overs. He has also broken into the Indian T20I side, where he is used as a middle-order batter who can shift gears quickly in the back end of the innings.

How the “finisher” tag shapes the debate

Because of that dramatic last over and similar late-innings cameos, the “finisher” tag has stuck to Rinku Singh. In simple terms, a finisher in T20s is someone who usually walks in after the 12th or 14th over and looks to close out the game, often from number 6 or 7.

However, that image can sometimes hide another side of the batter. In Rinku’s case, the numbers shared show that he is not just someone who swings at the end; he is also very effective when he has enough time to set up his innings at number 5. So the key question for IPL 2026 is not “Is Rinku a finisher or not?” but “Where in the order does he give the most value to KKR?”

What K Srikkanth said about Rinku Singh

Former India opener and ex-chief selector K Srikkanth recently said that Rinku Singh is not suited to bat at number 5 for Kolkata Knight Riders. According to his view, Rinku should come in at number 7 and act only as a finisher, especially in chases where the asking rate is high.

Srikkanth made these comments after KKR’s 32-run loss to Chennai Super Kings, a match where Rinku scored only 6 runs off 12 balls. In his view, Rinku is better when 50 runs are needed off 5 overs and the main job is to hit out, not to build a long innings from number 5. He argued that giving Rinku the role of building and then finishing would not work.

But when we put these views next to Rinku Singh’s actual numbers by batting position, both in the IPL and in all T20s, the story looks quite different.

Rinku Singh’s IPL numbers by batting position

Let us first look at the IPL numbers provided for Rinku Singh at numbers 5, 6 and 7. These figures show how his game changes with the batting position:

Rinku Singh in the IPL by batting position

Position	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike rate
5	17	485	40.41	140.57
6	24	423	24.88	137.78
7	8	168	24.00	164.70

A few simple points stand out right away:

• At number 5, Rinku Singh has scored the most runs (485) in the fewest matches among these three slots, and his average there is a very healthy 40.41.
• His strike rate at number 5 (140.57) is also strong, which means he is not just playing slow to protect his wicket.
• At number 6, his runs and average both drop, even though the strike rate stays decent.
• At number 7, the strike rate jumps to 164.7, but the sample size is small: only 8 matches and 168 runs.

So, Srikkanth’s view that Rinku “should not be asked to bat at number 5 and build an innings” does not match these numbers. At number 5, Rinku has already built and finished innings many times, and the higher average shows that he handles this role well across a fair sample of games.

The small number of innings at number 7 also makes it risky to label that position as his ideal spot just because the strike rate is higher. A short burst of knocks at 7 can inflate the strike rate, while the larger sample at 5 gives a clearer picture of his true level.

Rinku Singh’s overall T20 record by position

When we widen the lens to all T20s, including domestic matches, the pattern is even more clear. Here are the figures shared for his overall T20 career:

Rinku Singh in all T20s by batting position

Position	Matches	Runs	Average	Strike rate
5th position	64	1739	37.00	144.67
6th position	50	957	33.00	145.44
7th position	20	304	23.38	167.95

Again, the standout points are simple:

• Number 5 is his most common position in T20s, and also his best in terms of runs and average: 1739 runs at 37.
• The strike rate at number 5 is 144.67, which is more than enough for a middle-order role that includes finishing duties.
• At number 6, his average is solid at 33 with a slightly higher strike rate, so he still does well there but not as well as at 5.
• At number 7, the strike rate is the highest, but the average drops to about 23, and the sample is again smaller.

This tells a very direct story: Rinku Singh is at his peak in T20s when he bats at number 5. He gets enough balls to get set, yet he still scores at a high rate. When he is pushed down to 7, his scoring style becomes more all-out hitting, which lifts strike rate but reduces average.

So the data does not support the idea that he cannot “build” an innings. In fact, both tables show that he builds and finishes better when given slightly more time at number 5.

Rinku Singh as a middle-order batter who can still finish

Outside these tables, independent analysis has also shown how dangerous Rinku is in the late overs. A detailed piece on his T20 numbers showed that in 2023 he had one of the best strike rates in the world at the death, especially in overs 17–20, where he scored at over 200 while facing a big sample of balls. The same analysis placed him among the top batters globally at numbers 5 and 6 for strike rate and average combined.

In simple words, these studies say that Rinku Singh can both build from the middle and explode at the end. That is exactly what a modern T20 side wants from its number 5: someone who can walk in after two early wickets and still be there in the 18th over.

So when someone argues that he should only come at 7 “to finish,” they are almost cutting his role in half. They are ignoring the part where he can guide the innings through the middle overs, turn ones into twos, and then open up later.

Rinku Singh’s start to IPL 2026 at number 5

In IPL 2026 so far, Rinku Singh has scores of 33*, 35*, 4 and 6, all while batting at number 5 under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy. This is a small set of innings, but it shows that KKR have a clear plan: use Rinku in his strongest zone in the batting order.

The two unbeaten 30-plus scores show that he can close out games and be there at the end. The two low scores show that he is human and can fail like any batter, but they do not change the long-term pattern from previous seasons and wider T20 numbers.

When coaches look at batting positions, they usually trust larger samples over short bursts. Here, the larger sample across leagues and seasons backs Rinku at 5.

Why branding him only as a “finisher” is risky

Branding Rinku Singh only as a “finisher” and forcing him to bat at 7 has a few clear problems if we stay with simple cricket logic:

• It reduces the number of balls he can face in most innings, which cuts his overall impact even if the strike rate looks pretty.
• It ignores the strong record he already has at 5 and his proven skill in handling both spin and pace in the middle overs.
• It turns him into a one-dimensional role player when his stats show he can be a complete middle-order batter.

Moreover, when a batter is stuck at 7, there will be games where he barely gets to the crease, or comes in with too much to do in too little time. That is not a smart way to use one of your best shot-makers and best middle-order run scorers.

On the other hand, at number 5, Rinku can walk in anywhere between the 7th and 12th over, settle in for a few balls, and then pick his moments. If the top order has done well, he can still finish with power. If the top order has failed, he has enough time to rebuild and then launch.

Number 5 suits Rinku Singh in IPL 2026

When we put together all the data shared:

• IPL numbers show Rinku Singh’s best returns at number 5 in terms of both runs and average, with a strong strike rate.
• Overall T20 numbers again place number 5 as his most productive position by a distance.
• Independent analysis of his T20 record places him among the top batters in the world at 5 and 6, with elite death-overs output.

So, calling him only a finisher and pushing him down to number 7 does not match what the numbers say. It is more accurate to see Rinku Singh as a high-quality middle-order batter who can also finish games, rather than just as a pure finisher who must always bat late.

For IPL 2026, keeping Rinku Singh at number 5 and trusting him with both the middle overs and the closing overs looks like the smarter move on the evidence available so far.