Although Rinku Singh has not been included in the final 15-member squad, the KKR batter will still be travelling with the team as one of the four reserves.
New Delhi: Rinku Singh is left heartbroken after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter was omitted from the India team for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 to be held in USA and West Indies, his father Khanchandra Singh. The BCCI on Tuesday announced the 15-member squad with Shivam Dube being preferred over Rinku. The Uttar Pradesh batter has been a consistent performer for KKR in the last IPL and also with the Indian team, with his bat. He was a part of the Indian team that won the Asian Games gold last year. However, Rinku will still travel with the Indian squad but as one of the reserve cricketers.
“There was hope, and that is why there is a bit of sadness. We brought sweets and crackers to celebrate; we thought Rinku would play in the first eleven. He is heartbroken. He spoke to his mother and told her that he was not picked in the 11 or 15. But he also said that he would be travelling with the team,” Khanchandra told Bharat24, with his voice filled with pride and disappointment.
A heartbreaking video. 💔
Rinku Singh’s father talking about the exclusion of Rinku from the main squad. pic.twitter.com/Q2MuBmx2rp
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 1, 2024
Currently a part of the KKR squad, Rinku travelled to Mumbai alongside co-owner Shah Rukh Khan. The duo were caught leaving the airport in Kolkata. KKR are going to face Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on May 3. Earlier, SRK also expressed his desire to see Rinku in the T20 World Cup squad.
The southpaw broke into the limelight in IPL 2023, when his five sixes in the final over against Gujarat Titans saw his team home. Since then, his graph went upwards as the Aligarh-born superstar made his international debut against Ireland last year. In national jersey too, Rinku didn’t put a foot wrong with 356 runs from 15 matches for India at a strike rate of over 176.
With the innings he has played so far for KKR and India, Rinku is being touted as the next big thing after MS Dhoni as far as the role of a finisher is concerned.