165*, 176: India T20I batter scores first-class career-best for second consecutive game

Rinku Singh scores 176 for Uttar Pradesh against Tamil Nadu

The fifth round of the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy saw Uttar Pradesh take on Tamil Nadu at the Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science Ground in Coimbatore. Tamil Nadu skipper R Sai Kishore won the toss and elected to bat first; his side scored 455 thanks to centuries from Baba Indrajith (149) and C Andre Siddarth (121), as well as a half-century from debutant G Ajitesh (86).

Read more: First-class average of 102.8: Indian newbie continues stellar start to career with third ton in first five games

UP were 87-1 by the end of day two, and 149-3 on day three (yesterday) when Rinku Singh came to the crease. But they soon slipped to 191-5, and were in danger of conceding the all-important first-innings lead.

Rinku stitched a 104-run stand for the sixth wicket with Shivam Mavi (54), during the course of which he brought up a half-century off 74 balls. At stumps, he was unbeaten on 98.

Also read: First-class average of 78.6: Rising Indian star hits second Ranji double ton in three games

Early on day four, Rinku got past the 100-run mark, off 157 balls – his ninth in first-class cricket, to go with 22 half-centuries. UP were still not out of the woods as Shivam Sharma's departure left them 348-7. Rinku carried on though, eventually getting to a career-best 176 before being dismissed with UP 12 runs shy of Tamil Nadu's score. Last-wicket pair Kunal Tyagi and Aaqib Khan finished off the job, earning their side a five-run lead before the match ended in a draw. 

Having recently returned from international cricket – India's T20I tour of Australia – Rinku made a career-best first-class score for the second time in a row. His last innings in the format came for UP against Andhra last month, where he made an unbeaten 165.

His batting average in the format now stands at 59.30, the seventh-highest for any Indian with at least 2,000 runs to their name. Rinku sits just above Vijay Hazare and below Vinod Kambli.

Rinku Singh: Highest scores in first-class cricket

Image credit: JioHotstar

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