Rinku Singh left the T20 World Cup before the Zimbabwe match and returned home…this big reason came to the fore

Sports : At the crucial juncture of the T20 World Cup 2026, the Indian cricket team has suffered a major personal and strategic blow. The team’s aggressive batsman Rinku Singh has suddenly left the Indian camp and returned from Chennai. The condition of Rinku’s father Khanchand Singh is very critical and he is on life support system in a local hospital in Greater Noida. This news has come at a time when Team India is struggling to remain in the race for the semi-finals.

Father on ventilator in hospital

Rinku Singh’s father Khanchand Singh is currently suffering from serious health problems and has been put on ventilator. According to the information, Rinku had reached Chennai with the team on Monday, 23 February, but on receiving the news of his father’s deteriorating health on Tuesday morning, he decided to go home immediately. He has taken permission from the management for the family to be together during this difficult time. Rinku could not even attend the team’s important practice session on Tuesday evening.

The road to the semi-finals became difficult

After facing defeat in the first match of Super-8 against South Africa, the Indian team is in danger of early exit from the tournament. The absence of a match finisher like Rinku Singh at this time is a matter of great concern for the captain. Now India will have to win both its next matches by a big margin to secure a place in the semi-finals. In the absence of Rinku, maintaining the balance of the batting order and scoring runs quickly is now a testing time for the team management.

Rival capable of causing upsets

India’s next match is against Zimbabwe on 26 February, underestimating which could prove costly. The Zimbabwe team, captained by Sikandar Raza, has entered the Super-8 by defeating former champion teams like Australia and Sri Lanka in the group stage. Although Zimbabwe has lost its first Super-8 match to West Indies, but they will try their best to make a comeback. India will miss Rinku in this ‘do or die’ contest and will have to prove its superiority at any cost.

Vice-captain will take over in place of Rinku

In case of Rinku Singh’s unavailability, the team management can include vice-captain Akshar Patel in the playing eleven. The decision to keep Akshar out of the last match against South Africa was strongly criticized by experts and fans. Now due to circumstances Akshar may get a chance to prove his usefulness. Being an experienced all-rounder, Axar Patel can provide the required depth to the team in both the bowling and batting departments, which is expected to provide considerable strength to the lower order.

It is necessary to win by a large margin

The equation for the Indian team to reach the semi-finals of the T-20 World Cup now completely depends on a big win. They will not only have to beat Zimbabwe and West Indies but will also have to register huge wins to improve their net run rate. Rinku Singh’s return home has also had a deep impact on the emotions in the team’s dressing room. Now it remains to be seen how the Indian team performs under this emotional and strategic pressure and whether they are able to remain in the title race.