India National Cricket Team star batter Rinku Singh is going through the most painful phase of his life. Actually, Rinku Singh’s father passed away on February 27, 2026, in Greater Noida after battling cancer for a long time. The heartbreaking news has shaken the Indian cricket fraternity.
BCCI reacts to the demise of Rinku Singh’s father
Rinku immediately flew back home from the T20 World Cup 2026 camp when his father’s condition became critical. He stayed with his family during the tough time and later returned to Chennai to rejoin the Indian squad, which showed his commitment despite the emotional pain.
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BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla also reacted to the tragic news. He expressed mourning and said the loss is extremely heartbreaking. He mentioned that Rinku’s father had struggled for a long time and that the family had faced many hardships over the years.
Rajeev Shukla was quoted as saying by ANI, “The news of Rinku Singh’s father’s passing is very heartbreaking. He had been ill for a year… He struggled a lot in his life… Rinku is also very upset… This is very sad… I pay my tributes to him.”
#WATCH | Delhi: On the demise of cricketer Rinku Singh’s father, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla says, “The news of Rinku Singh’s father’s passing is very heartbreaking. He had been ill for a year… He struggled a lot in his life… Rinku is also very upset… This is very… pic.twitter.com/b9zYuRyMIu
— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2026
Rinku Singh likely to miss the crucial Super 8 clash against the West Indies
Meanwhile, Rinku did not feature in the Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026 against Zimbabwe. India went with Sanju Samson in the playing XI, forcing him to warm the bench. Now questions arise about whether Rinku will feature in the crucial Super 8 clash with West Indies in Kolkata.
A Revsportz journalist shared that “Rinku’s participation in the Kolkata game looks unlikely” following the demise of his father on Friday morning.
Rinku’s participation in the Kolkata game looks unlikely
— Rohit Juglan (@rohitjuglan) February 27, 2026
However, the left-handed batter has so far had a modest campaign in the T20 World Cup 2026. He has scored 24 runs in five innings and stayed not out twice. His numbers in the format have not been impressive in 2026. In 10 T20 internationals this year, Rinku has made 115 runs.
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India now heads to Kolkata for a must-win Super 8 match against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where a victory will seal a semi-final spot along with South Africa.
Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Sharma power India to a 72-run win over Zimbabwe
Meanwhile, India played fearless cricket in Chennai and kept their T20 World Cup 2026 hopes alive with a massive 72-run win over Zimbabwe in a must-win Super 8 clash in Chennai.
Abhishek Sharma gave India a flying start with a blazing 55 off just 30 balls. Sanju Samson helped him to set the early momentum with 24 runs off 15 balls. Ishan Kishan (38) and Suryakumar Yadav (33) kept the scoreboard ticking in the middle overs on Friday.
Then, Hardik Pandya smashed an unbeaten 50 off only 23 balls while Tilak Varma hammered 44 off 14 balls. Pandya and Tilak added 84 runs in just 31 deliveries to help the defending champions post a huge 256/4 on the board—the highest score of this tournament.
Zimbabwe fought hard through Brian Bennett’s unbeaten 97, but Arshdeep Singh’s three-wicket haul helped India restrict them to 184 for 6. India will now have to beat West Indies in a semifinal spot.