New Delhi, Feb 27 (.) India middle-order batter Rinku Singh suffered a personal loss after his father, Khanchand Singh, passed away following a battle with stage-4 liver cancer. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh confirmed the news in a social media post on Friday.
“Pained to learn about the demise of Shri Khanchand Singh Ji, father of Rinku Singh. This must be an especially difficult time for Rinku and his family, even as he remains committed to his responsibilities during the T20 World Cup,” Harbhajan wrote.
“My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with him and his loved ones. May Waheguru grant eternal peace to the departed soul and give strength and courage to the bereaved family,” he added.
Khanchand Singh had been on ventilator support at a hospital in Greater Noida and was in critical condition, prompting Rinku to briefly return home earlier this week.
The left-hander, however, rejoined the Indian squad ahead of the Super Eight fixture against Zimbabwe in Chennai. He did not feature in the playing XI, with Sanju Samson preferred instead, but was present with the team and served as a substitute fielder during the match that India won by 72 runs.
A late addition to India’s T20 World Cup squad, Rinku has struggled to make an impact so far, scoring 24 runs across five innings, including a duck against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Following their crucial victory over Zimbabwe, India will now head to Kolkata for their final Super Eight clash against the West Indies on March 1. The encounter is effectively a virtual quarterfinal, with the winner progressing to the semifinals after India’s win and West Indies’ heavy defeat to South Africa, earlier on Thursday.
. TDB VAN .