Rinku's Emotional Note To Late Father

Rinku Singh penned down an emotional note remembering his late father Khanchand Singh, days after India beat New Zealand to win the T20 World Cup 2026 title, in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

His father, who battled stage-four cancer, passed away on February 27, 2026, during the T20 World Cup.

Rinku briefly returned home from the T20 World Cup to be with his family before rejoining the Indian squad.

An emotional Rinku said he wished his father was alive to witness him lift the T20 World Cup title.

'Aapse baat kiye bina itne din kabhi nahi nikale. Mujhe nahi pata aage ki zindagi aapke bina kaise chalegi... par mujhe har kadam par aapki zaroorat padegi. Aapne sikhaya tha ki farz sabse aage hai.. toh field par bas aapka sapna poora karne ki koshish kar raha tha.'

'Ab aapka sapna pura ho gaya hai.... toh bas yahi lagta hai ki kash aap mere paas hote. Har chhoti badi khushi mein aapki kami khalegi. Bohot miss karunga aapko Papa... bohot zyada,' Rinku posted on Instagram.

'(I have not gone so many days without talking to you. I do not know how life would go on without you, but I would need you at every step. You taught me that there is nothing above duty and I was trying to fulfill your dream on the field. Now that has been done, I wish you were there with me. Your presence will be missed in every small or little happiness. I will miss you a lot papa)'.

Rinku had a mixed bag World Cup with the bat, often arriving at the crease with very few balls left to score. He played just five matches in which he scored 24 runs in 29 balls faced, staying unbeaten twice with a best score of 11 not out.

He had narrowly missed out on selection to the Indian team when they won the T20 World Cup in 2024, as he travelled to the West Indies and USA as a reserve player.

• T20 World Cup 2026