India batter Rinku Singh has revealed that having tried bowling off-spin during the UP T20 league, he is now focusing on his bowling as well, looking to become a full-package cricketer as per the requirements of the sport in these times. Having established himself in Indian cricket, Rinku is all set to lead Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with their first match scheduled against Jammu and Kashmir in Vizianagaram.

Kolkata Knight Riders retained Rinku for a whopping Rs 13 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. After he smacked five sixes in an over during IPL 2023, he became a crucial player for the franchise and he has repaid the faith as and when he got an opportunity.

Earlier this year, Rinku led the Meerut Mavericks in the UPT20 League, where he led them to a win, registering 210 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 161.54.

"It was a big opportunity for me to lead Meerut Mavericks in the UPT20 League and I am happy that I could deliver. I enjoyed captaincy as it allowed me to learn many things," Rinku was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

"I did try my hand at bowling [offspin] too at the UPT20 league. Present-day cricket demands a full package, a cricketer who can bat, bowl and field. Now I am focusing on my bowling too. As captain of Uttar Pradesh, I have got a bigger role to play and I'm ready for this," Rinku added.

The India batter's promotion in the Uttar Pradesh side comes at a time when Kolkata are mulling their leadership options ahead of IPL 2025. He has been part of the Kolkata setup for six years now and was retained ahead of the mega auction last month.

"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," Rinku said.

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