Is it end of road for Rinku Singh in T20 World Cup?

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed disappointment over Rinku Singh’s exclusion from the squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, calling the youngster “unfortunate.” Just months ago, Rinku played a match-winning role by finishing the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, yet he has now missed out on selection. Although he travelled with the team to Australia for the T20I series, he featured in just one rain-affected match and did not get a chance to bat.

For the South Africa series, Washington Sundar has replaced Rinku Singh, signalling the new management’s focus under coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav on strengthening all-round options. Pathan believes that Hardik Pandya’s return from injury is the primary reason behind Rinku being pushed out of contention.

Also Read: Controversy erupts over cricketer Rinku Singh’s appointment as Education Officer in Uttar Pradesh

"Hardik Pandya is back so Rinku Singh is out. Rinku is unfortunate, but this was expected the moment Hardik recovered. This squad is 90–95 percent of what India will choose for the 2026 T20 World Cup," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

Analysing India’s future T20 balance, Pathan discussed the possible bowling and all-round combinations, noting that Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube could be the preferred pace-all-round group alongside spinners Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. However, he emphasised that Hardik’s role is key to India’s World Cup campaign.

"If India are to win the World Cup, Hardik and the finisher partnering him will be the most crucial," he stated.