Will Rinku Singh play tonight for IND vs ZIM in Super 8 clash of the T20 World Cup 2026?

Rinku Singh has failed to live up to the expectations with his performances in T20 World Cup 2026.

India arrive at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai with hopes of semi-final still on. They are still reeling from a tough 76-run loss to South Africa in Ahmedabad. This was their first real blow in the Super 8 stage of T20 World Cup 2026. Suryakumar Yadav’s side sailed through the group stage without losing a game. However, their good form was missing against the Proteas.

They crumbled for just 111 while chasing 188. Right now, India sit third in Group 1 with zero points. Their net run rate of -3.800 is a major problem. Only a big win against Zimbabwe will keep their title hopes alive. The top order, especially Abhishek Sharma, faces heavy criticism. He has been out for a duck in three straight games. Now, the team management has to make tough selection calls that could decide their whole tournament.

Will Rinku Singh play IND vs ZIM clash in T20 World Cup 2026?

In the middle of this high-pressure moment, a personal crisis hit. Rinku Singh‘s father, Khanchand Singh, is fighting fourth-stage liver cancer as per the reports. Doctors admitted him to a hospital in Greater Noida and put him on a ventilator. Rinku originally went with the Indian team to Chennai on Monday, February 23, but he left early the next morning.

He had just heard the terrible news about his father’s health getting worse. The cricket fraternity showed him a lot of support. As for the match, reports on February 25 said Rinku is coming back.

He joined the team on Wednesday evening, meaning he can play against Zimbabwe on Thursday. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak spoke at the pre-match press conference and stated that his father wasn’t well, so he went back, and he thinks he is coming back this evening. Now, whether Rinku actually makes the starting lineup is another story.

There have been reports which claimed that Rinku, despite being available, will be benched with Sanju Samson replacing him in XI. He would help fix an Indian batting lineup that fell apart against South Africa. Rinku’s numbers in this tournament show he is struggling. He has managed only 18 runs in four innings this tournament. This includes a duck in that big loss to South Africa.

He hasn’t been able to close out games like fans expect him to. Rinku has played 45 T20Is for India with a strike rate of 155.73 throughout his career. Hence, fans still expect big things from him. If he plays against Zimbabwe, the Chennai crowd will hope he turns the pain of the last two days into a great performance. India really need him at his best.

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