Rinku Singh’s availability for India’s must-win match against Zimbabwe has been thrown into uncertainty after the batter had to fly back home due to a family emergency. India are set to face Zimbabwe in a do-or-die T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match in Chennai on 26 February. The defending champions started the Super 8 round with a big 76-run defeat at the hands of South Africa in a repeat of last edition’s final. With that, India’s Net Run Rate (NRR) also took a big hit. Rinku Singh’s father in serious condition According to PTI, the explosive left-hander was a notable absentee from India’s training session in Chennai before the Zimbabwe clash. “Rinku Singh has flown back home from Chennai due to a family emergency. He did not join India’s practice session at the Chepauk,” the agency quoted a source close to the development. The PTI report also stated that the reason behind Rinku returning home was his father, Khanchandra Singh who is in a serious condition and admitted to a hospital in Greater Noida. According to a report in The New Indian Express, Rinku’s father was suffering from a liver issue and had to be admitted to a hospital after the condition worsened. With Rinku’s availability uncertain against Zimbabwe, there’s a good chance that there might be changes in India’s playing XI against Zimbabwe. Also read: Can India qualify for semis after losing to South Africa?: Men in Blue must win remaining games, boost Net Run Rate Rinku Singh’s performance in T20 World Cup so far The 28-year-old batter has had an underwhelming campaign with the bat in the T20 World Cup so far. He scored just six runs against the USA and followed it up with one run, against Namibia. The left-hander hit 11 runs against Pakistan before managing six runs against the Netherlands in India’s last group match. Rinku was out for a duck in India’s defeat to South Africa in Ahmedabad on 22 February. India in must-win situation in Super 8 India, as mentioned before, are in a must-win situation in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue now not only need to win both their remaining matches but also improve their Net Run Rate (NRR), which is -3.800 at the moment. The only way India can qualify for the semi-finals without having to worry about the NRR is for South Africa to win their remaining games. After facing Zimbabwe on 26 February, India will lock horns against the West Indies in a decisive game on 1 March at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Post navigation India to face Pakistan in Women’s T20 WC campaign opener:ICC announces schedule, tournament starts on 12 June
