The Indian cricket team decided to bench Rinku Singh for the high-voltage IND vs WI, Super 8 T20 World Cup 2026 match at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Rinku Singh Not Included In Playing XI vs West Indies
Rinku Singh was previously left out during the India vs Zimbabwe match after struggling to score runs. Shortly after, tragedy struck when Rinku’s father, Khanchandra Singh, passed away. The Aligarh-born cricketer went home for the funeral and rejoined the squad on Saturday night, but he was not picked despite his Eden Gardens connection.
Rinku’s absence gave India a chance to adjust the lineup. Sanju Samson opened with Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan moved to No. 3, and Tilak Varma took the finisher’s role at No. 6.
Tilak Varma Steals the Show In Rinku’s Absence
The Hyderabad batter grabbed the opportunity in Rinku’s absence, playing an unbeaten knock of 44 runs off 16 balls against Zimbabwe, helping India post their highest T20 World Cup total. As a finisher, he faced more pace, could play aggressively, and showed the kind of fearless batting the team needed.
After winning the toss, Suryakumar Yadav admitted there’s some tension in the camp with so much riding on the match. Still, he sounded confident about the team’s mindset.
“There will be tension. There will be nerves. But if there’s no pressure, there’s no fun. But the mood in the camp is good. I think we ticked all the boxes in the last game,” Suryakumar said in a chat with Ravi Shastri at the toss.
“And taking that positivity coming here in this game, I think it’ll be a good one. No, we’re going with the same team,” he added.
Fans Slam BCCI For Not Including Rinku Singh In Playing XI Despite Emotional Return After Father’s Death
Check out how fans reacted to this:
No way the team management called Rinku Singh back right after his cremation, only to bench him in such an important match against WI especially when we were chasing. Makes absolutely no sense. pic.twitter.com/2AO2A3V3GJ
— StarcyKKR (@StarcKKR) March 1, 2026
Jb rinku ko khilana hi nhi tha to bulaya kyun usko
— Sachin Singh (@SachinSing62353) March 1, 2026
Rinku Singh lost his father just a day ago and still joined the team. Respect his commitment to the country.
If he was never considered for the playing XI, then why wasn’t he informed earlier by the captain and coach?
BCCI is the worst board.
— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) March 1, 2026
BIG calls in the XI! 🇮🇳
No Rinku Singh tonight despite the Eden connection.
India going with the same winning combo from the Zim game. Bold or Risky?
Meanwhile, Windies bring in Akeal Hosein—they know spin will be the middle-overs tiebreaker. 🌪️🏏 #INDvWI #T20WorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/oaS3BCceBL
— Hulk’t Hogan (@HalkatHogan) March 1, 2026
As I already said, BCCI is the most shameless and worst board.
If they had no plans to include Rinku Singh in the Playing XI, then why did they call him back? When he’s going through serious family issues, management could’ve simply told him that we are not considering you in… https://t.co/nbyL7mjBqv
— 𝚅𝚊𝚛𝚞𝚗¹⁸ (@varunx18) March 1, 2026
Today Rinku Singh Should Have Been Included In The Playing 11 It Feels Really Bad That Rinku Singh Was Not Played In The Match At Eden Gardens 💔
— Koushik (@koushikkkrian) March 1, 2026
Rinku Singh man what a guy you r yrr lost his father two days ago and today in the ground represting the country 🫡 showing this level of character is what makes them special
Rinku Singh mann 🙌#INDvsWI— Harshu (@Harsh1307005) March 1, 2026
Why call Rinku Singh back when he was not gonna be part of playing XI? He could have been with his family in these tough times @bcci
— Anu (@anu_2610) March 1, 2026
IND vs WI — Why India Chose To Bowl Against West Indies?
Explaining the decision at the toss, SKY said, “The surface looks good. It has been a chasing ground. Wicket later on becomes even better. And also with a little bit of dew factor, I think chasing would be a better option,” said Suryakumar.
Speaking about the atmosphere in Kolkata, he added, “I mean, it’s already very wild. The crowd is in. Hopefully, we can give them a good show tonight.”
India made no changes to the side that beat the Zimbabwe cricket team by 72 runs, keeping the same playing XI for the clash against the West Indies cricket team.
IND vs WI — Playing XI Of Both Teams:
India (Unchanged Playing XI) – Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah.
West Indies (Playing XI) – Shai Hope (C/WK), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein (In for Brandon King), Gudakesh Motie, and Shamar Joseph.
