Virat Kohli Mourns Death of Rinku Singh’s Father
NEW DELHI — India batting star Virat Kohli expressed condolences on Friday following the death of Rinku Singh’s father, Khanchand Singh, after a prolonged battle with liver cancer.
Khanchand Singh had been admitted to Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida on February 21 after his condition deteriorated. He was on ventilator support and passed away in the early hours of Friday.
“Deeply saddened by the news of Rinku’s father’s demise. My heartfelt prayers and thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time. May you always find strength in his eternal blessings. Om Shanti,” Kohli wrote on X.
The mortal remains were brought to Aligarh later in the day, where Rinku Singh joined the funeral procession and gave a shoulder to his father’s bier.
Rinku had rushed from Chennai to New Delhi at 5 a.m. when his father’s health worsened. He had briefly rejoined India’s T20 World Cup squad ahead of the Super 8 match against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday but did not feature in the playing XI, with Sanju Samson opening the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia said Rinku would not travel with the team to Kolkata for Sunday’s Super 8 fixture against the West Indies.
Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association chief Prem Manohar Gupta also condoled the loss. “Really disheartened to hear about the demise of Rinku Singh’s father. Happiness had just begun to come into the family, and Rinku’s wedding had recently been fixed. At such a time, this loss feels even more painful. The entire UPCA stands firmly with Rinku Singh and his family,” he said.
BCCI president Mithun Manhas also shared his condolences on X, writing, “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Rinku Singh’s father. My heartfelt condolences to Rinku and his family in this difficult time. May lord Shiva give him the strength to stay strong.”
Rinku Singh has emerged as one of India’s promising limited-overs batters in recent years. His father’s death comes at a deeply personal moment as the team continues its T20 World Cup campaign. (Source: IANS)
