New Delhi [India], February 27 : The cricketing fraternity is mourning the passing of Rinku Singh's father. Rajeev Shukla, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President, also expressed his condolences, describing the loss as deeply heartbreaking.
Speaking to ANI, Shukla said, "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."
Rinku Singh's father breathed his last on Friday morning at the Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida, informed the hospital PRO. Singh's father was battling stage-four cancer. He was undergoing treatment at Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida, but sadly couldn't make it.
Rinku had to rush back home from the T20 World Cup squad to be with his family after his father's condition worsened after India's first Super 8 fixture against South Africa. Rinku was quick to return to Chennai to join the Indian squad ahead of the Zimbabwe clash on Thursday after a quick visit to meet his father.
However, Rinku didn't feature in the playing 11 for the Zimbabwe clash as India opted for Sanju Samson to open alongside Abhishek Sharma, leaving Rinku out of the equation.
So far, Rinku has had a mixed bag World Cup with the bat, often arriving at the crease with very few balls left to score. He has made just 24 runs in five innings, staying unbeaten twice and having a best score of 11*.
In 10 T20Is this year, the left-hander has made 115 runs in eight innings at an average of 28.75, with a strike rate of 132.18 and best score of 44*. The Indian team will now travel to Kolkata for their last Super 8 clash against the West Indies on Sunday. The winner of the match will join South Africa to qualify for the semi-finals from Group 1.