Rinku Singh is expected to rejoin India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad in Kolkata after briefly leaving following the death of his father
BCCI has confirmed his return ahead of India’s must-win Super Eights clash against the West Indies at Eden Gardens
The ongoing tournament is Rinku’s first World Cup, and his return comes as India fight to remain in contention for a semifinal place
Indian cricketer Rinku Singh will rejoin the national squad for the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 on Saturday, a day after the death of his father.
The development was confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with the team set to regroup in Kolkata ahead of a crucial Super Eights fixture.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told PTI, "Rinku is joining the squad tomorrow."
Rinku had returned home on Friday after his father, Khanchand Singh, passed away following a prolonged illness.
He died at a hospital in Greater Noida late Thursday night after battling advanced-stage liver cancer. His condition had deteriorated in recent days, leading to his admission on February 21, hospital officials had said earlier.
The 28-year-old left-handed batter left Chennai early Friday morning to attend the final rites in New Delhi. As a result, he did not feature in India’s recent Super Eights match against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, where Sanju Samson opened the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma.
Rinku is expected to be available for India’s must-win clash against the West Indies on Sunday, March 1, at Eden Gardens. The match is a virtual knockout, with the winner progressing to the semifinals from Group 1 alongside South Africa.
This is Rinku’s first appearance at a World Cup. He was part of the touring party as a reserve in the 2024 edition but did not get a game. In the current tournament, the left-hander has managed 24 runs from five outings in the middle order.
