A personal tragedy struck India batter Rinku Singh in the continuing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 when his father, Khanchand Singh, died on Friday following a long struggle with the fourth stage liver cancer. The 28-year old cricketer who has played with India during the Super 8 stage rushed home and had a time with his family after being informed of the tragic news.
Khanchand was a patient of Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida. His status worsened this week and he has been put on ventilator support as he continues with the renal therapy on a continuous basis. He passed on on February 27 although under intensive medical care.
The depressing news was announced only the next day that Rinku Singh had returned to Chennai to join the Indian team in what was a must-winning Super 8 game against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Previously, Rinku had gone home to see the father who was admitted to hospital after his health deteriorated.
Rinku Singh Leaves Team Camp After Father’s Demise
Even though he did not feature in the playing XI against Zimbabwe, with Sanju Samson being used as the replacement in the reconstituted team, Rinku was still with the team. He entered the field as a replacement fielder in the game.
India proceeded to win Zimbabwe by 72 runs in Chennai and it was still in the semifinals. But just after the game, Rinku received the news about the demise of his father and without any second thought, he drove out of the team camp to Aligarh to join his family.
The father of Rinku was also key in the career of his son who was a cricketer. As a deliveryman of the LPG cylinders in Aligarh, he struggled with money and did everything he could to give his son a chance to continue with the sport. Rinku has on numerous occasions talked about how his father sacrificed and believed in his talent.
Old India spinner Harbhajan Singh was saddened by the news and posted his condolences on his social media page saying it was a particularly poor moment of time to Rinku and his family. He was sincere in prayers and empowered the family.
Pained to learn about the demise of Shri Khanchand Singh Ji, father of Rinku Singh. This must be an especially difficult time for Rinku and his family, even as he remains committed to his responsibilities during the T20 World Cup.
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with him…
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) February 27, 2026
