Rinku Singh has been appointed as the captain of the Uttar Pradesh team for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's prestigious 50-over domestic competition, which begins on December 21. He takes over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who captained UP during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Uttar Pradesh's campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy ended last week with a quarter-final loss to Delhi.

This marks Rinku Singh's first senior-level captaincy role for Uttar Pradesh. Earlier this year, he successfully led the Meerut Mavericks to the UPT20 League title, showcasing his leadership skills. In the tournament, Rinku scored 210 runs in nine innings at an impressive strike rate of 161.54, primarily playing as a finisher.

Reflecting on his experience, Rinku said, “It was a big opportunity for me to lead Meerut Mavericks in the UPT20 League, and I am happy that I could deliver. I really enjoyed captaincy as it allowed me to learn many things."

In addition to his batting, Rinku has been working on his bowling. He experimented with offspin during the UPT20 League, noting that modern-day cricket requires players to be multi-dimensional. "Present-day cricket demands a full package - a cricketer who can bat, bowl and field. Now I am focusing on my bowling too," Rinku explained. As Uttar Pradesh's captain, he believes he has a larger role to play and is ready for the responsibility.

Rinku's appointment comes at a time when Kolkata Knight Riders, his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, is considering leadership options for the 2025 season. He has been part of the KKR setup since 2018 and was retained ahead of the mega auction in November, alongside stars like Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Varun Chakravarthy, and Ramandeep Singh.

However, Rinku is focused on his immediate responsibilities with Uttar Pradesh. "I am not thinking too much about the captaincy of KKR in the new IPL season. I am focused on my plans for Uttar Pradesh, as I want my team to regain the trophy we had won for the first time in 2015-16," he said.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy also serves as a crucial platform for players to impress national selectors ahead of India's squad announcement for the 2025 Champions Trophy in February. While Rinku has established himself as a regular in India's T20I side, he has only played two ODIs, making his debut a year ago in South Africa.

Rinku's impressive List A statistics add to his growing reputation. He has scored 1,899 runs in 52 innings at an average of 48.69, with a strike rate of 94.8, including one century and 17 half-centuries. Despite his strong numbers, Rinku remains focused on his current task rather than seeking an India call-up.

"I believe in God," he shared. "I didn’t even think of being part of Team India when I struck five consecutive sixes in the IPL last year. That turned out to be the biggest game changer in my life. Even now I feel that if God has decided something for me, I will get that surely. But at the same time, I also need to work hard on my job."

Uttar Pradesh will begin their Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign against Jammu and Kashmir on December 21. They will also face Mizoram (December 23), Tamil Nadu (December 26), Chhattisgarh (December 28), Chandigarh (December 31), and Vidarbha (January 3) during the group stage.