Despite battling through the death of his father, Indian player Rinku Singh will still join the cricket team in Kolkata ahead of their next ICC T20 World Cup assignment against the West Indies.
The left-handed batter will return to the squad from his family’s home in Aligarh, where his father was cremated on Friday.
After health complications, Rinku’s father Khanchand Singh passed away in a Greater Noida hospital on Friday morning after succumbing to stage four cancer. He was subsequently returned to Aligarh, where ANI reported that a large congregation attended his cremation as Rinku underwent the ritual processes in his hometown.
Earlier this week, Rinku Singh had travelled from Ahmedabad, where India opened their Super Eight proceedings against South Africa, to Greater Noida, where his father was admitted to a hospital. He subsequently made the trip to Chennai, where India beat Zimbabwe, but was forced to rush back to Uttar Pradesh following the tragic news.
Teammates push support behind Rinku
However, as per a BCCI source cited by ANI, Rinku remains committed to playing his part in India’s World Cup campaign. He is set to travel to Kolkata on Saturday, with the Eden Gardens hosting India’s must-win contest against the West Indies on Sunday evening.
Rinku and his family earned well-wishes from all quarters following the tragic news, from administrators and leaders within Indian cricket as well as a mentor of Rinku’s in Virat Kohli, amongst many others. Kohli has his own story of turning to cricket while grieving his father as a young man, and will undoubtedly will be a pillar of support for his younger teammate as he battles through this difficult time.
Rinku was present in Chennai and spotted during warm-ups and in the dugout during India’s dominant victory over Zimbabwe at Chepauk. However, he lost his place in the team to Sanju Samson as India opted for extra top-order resilience given the struggling batting unit.
Whether coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav opt to turn back to Rinku as he heads to the venue where he plays his IPL cricket for Kolkata Knight Riders remains to be seen. India must win in their final Super Eight game to progress to the semifinals – a loss would see West Indies progress in their stead.