(Image source from: PTI)

India cricketer Rinku Singh has departed from the Indian team and gone home because of a family crisis. Reports say that Rinku's father, Khanchand Singh, is seriously ill and has been taken to a local hospital in Greater Noida. Rinku traveled with the Indian squad to Chennai on Monday, February 23, right after India's Super 8 match. Sources informed India Today that he left Chennai early on Tuesday morning to be with his father, who is currently on life support. It seems unlikely that he will participate in the game against Zimbabwe on February 26. Rinku did not attend practice on Tuesday evening due to this situation. His unexpected departure from the team is occurring at a very important moment. After losing their first Super 8 match to South Africa, India is at risk of exiting the tournament early. They are about to face a challenging Zimbabwe team, which defeated both former champions Australia and Sri Lanka to reach the Super 8.

The team led by Sikandar Raza lost to the West Indies in their opening Super 8 game and will be eager to do better in their next match. If Rinku cannot play, India can easily replace him with Axar Patel. The vice-captain of the Indian team did not participate in the game against South Africa, a choice that the management faced heavy criticism for from fans and analysts. South Africa ended India's 12-match winning streak in the current T20 World Cup with a 76-run victory in their Super 8 opener in Ahmedabad. This loss not only broke India's unbeaten record but also significantly hurt their Net Run Rate, putting the defending champions at risk of not reaching the semi-finals. As things currently stand, India must win their remaining matches by large margins to maintain their chances of advancing to the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals.