Rinku Singh left India’s T20 World Cup squad after his father, Khanchand Singh, passed away following a battle with liver cancer. Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh later faced backlash for posting a light-hearted video, with fans calling it ill-timed.
Team India batter Rinku Singh’s father, Khanchand Singh, has passed away after a prolonged battle with liver cancer on Friday, February 27. Khanchand was admitted to Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital in Greater Noida after his health condition worsened in recent days, prompting Rinku to leave the squad and head back home ahead of India’s crucial Super 8 fixture against Zimbabwe in Chennai.
On the eve of the clash, Rinku rejoined the squad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, but was not included in the playing XI against Zimbabwe. Upon receiving the news of his father’s demise, the southpaw left Chennai and returned to his hometown in Aligarh, where Khanchand Singh’s mortal remains arrived from Aligarh.
Rinku Singh’s father, who was a gas cylinder provider by profession, was battling stage-4 liver cancer for a year, and his health condition worsened in recent days, leading him to be put on a ventilator before he succumbed to the illness on Friday. Riniku completed the final rites for his father in the presence of his family members and local people in his hometown.
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Axar Patel, and ,Arshdeep Singh, Come Under Scrutiny
As Rinku Singh’s father passed away after a long battle with liver cancer, which came a day after Team India’s defeat to Zimbabwe in Chennai, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh became the centre of criticism on social media amid the passing away of his teammate’s father, who is part of the India squad for the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
As the India squad boarded the flight to Kolkata without Rinku Singh, who returned home in Aligarh from Chennai to perform his father's final rites, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel had a fun interaction with their teammates, Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.
In a video posted by Axar Patel on his Snapchat account, shared by the Gujarat Titans on its X handle (formerly Twitter), he and Arshdeep were seen calling Jasprit from behind, but the pacer seemingly ignored them. The duo then interacted with Siraj, who was sitting by the window seat, laughing and joking in a light-hearted moment that later went viral.
The timing of the video appeared to be unfortunate, as Axar Patel uploaded it on his Snapchat around the same time Rinku Singh was attending his father’s final rites in Aligarh. The 14-member India squad was flying from Chennai to Kolkata for a crucial Super 8 fixture at the Eden Gardens Stadium, as the tournament entered its decisive phase.
Rinku Singh’s father passed away at 5 am at Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida, and the southpaw immediately left the squad in Chennai to be with his family in Aligarh during this difficult period.
‘This Is Such a Shame’
The viral video of Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh having a fun interaction inside the flight soon did not sit well with the fans, who expressed their anger and disappointment over the timing of the clip when Rinku Singh was attending his father’s final rites in Aligarh.
As the Indian cricket fraternity mourned the demise of Rinku Singh’s father, several social media users, especially on the X handle (formerly Twitter), criticised the duo for sharing a light-hearted moment, calling it insensitive given the circumstances.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), netizens slammed Axar Patel and ARshdeep Singh for allegedly showing insensitivity and poor timing, accusing the duo of making the light-hearted ‘reels’ when their teammate Rinku Singh was grieving the loss of his father, and urging them to show greater respect and team spirit during such a difficult moment.
Meanwhile, Rinku Singh will rejoin the India squad ahead of the crucial Super 8 fixture against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday, March 1. The match will decide the fate of the Men in Blue in the tournament after a heavy 76-run defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad before making a comeback with a crucial 72-run win over Zimbabwe in Chennai.
With India and the West Indies tied on two points after two matches, the upcoming clash at the Eden Gardens is set to be a virtual knockout, with the winner qualifying for the semifinal berth in the T20 World Cup 2026.
