India Coach Provides Update On Rinku Singh's Availability Ahead Of Crucial West Indies Clash In T20 World Cup Super 8

Ahead of his side's ICC T20 World Cup knockout match against the West Indies, India assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate spoke on batter Rinku Singh, who lost his father on Friday, saying that he plans to join the team ahead of the match and will continue to get all the "love and support" of his team.

Rinku Singh's father, Khanchand Singh, passed away at a hospital in Greater Noida and was cremated on Friday in Aligarh with a large number of people paying their tributes. Khanchand Singh breathed his last at a hospital in Greater Noida on Friday morning after battling fourth-stage cancer. Grief-stricken Rinku gave a shoulder to the mortal remains of his father as the funeral procession made its way to the crematorium.

Speaking during the pre-match presser, Doeschate said, "Everyone within the team, our condolences go out to Rinku and his family. It is obviously a very sad time when something like this happens, and he has not joined the team yet, but he will continue to get the love and support from everyone in the group. He has planned to join us later this evening, and like I said, we just need to get around him and help him through this very difficult time."

Tributes poured in from various sections of society over the demise of Rinku Singh's father. Rajeev Shukla, Vice-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the loss was deeply heartbreaking.

Team India, who are the defending champions, arrived in Kolkata on Friday evening for their crucial Super 8 fixture against the West Indies.

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Rinku had earlier rushed back home from the T20 World Cup squad to be with his family after his father's condition worsened after India's first Super 8 fixture against South Africa.

Rinku then returned to Chennai to join the Indian squad ahead of the Zimbabwe clash on Thursday, which India won.

The middle-order batter has had a mixed bag World Cup with the bat, often arriving at the crease with very few balls left to score. He has made just 24 runs in five innings, staying unbeaten twice and having a best score of 11*.

In 10 T20Is this year, the left-hander has made 115 runs in eight innings at an average of 28.75, with a strike rate of 132.18 and best score of 44*.