In a heartbreaking development for Indian Cricket, Star Batter Rinku Singh is mourning the loss of his father Shri Khanchand Singh, who passed away early Friday morning February 27, 2026. Khanchand Singh had been severely ill with Stage 4 Liver Cancer for a long time.
He passed away at the Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida with family members around. The loss of his father signifies the end of an incredible tale that has been full of sacrifice and resilience and through which one of the greatest cricketing talents of India emerged.
Rinku’s Father’s Battle Against Cancer
According to the medical records of Yatharth Hospital, the condition of Khanchand Singh took a rapid turn for the worse in the last week. He was brought to the hospital on February 21 and as his condition worsened, he was put on a mechanical ventilator. Despite Intensive care and Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) administered by a team of specialists, he succumbed to the advanced stage of the illness.
Personal Tragedy Amidst National Duty
Rinku, who accompanied the Indian squad to Chennai for the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 was secretly struggling emotionally with the illness of his father. After the match of India in Super 8 against South Africa, he had taken a break from the team camp for a short time to be with his father, but then he returned to the squad before the match against Zimbabwe.
Rinku was not in the playing XI when India defeated Zimbabwe on Thursday, Rinku stayed with the team and even went on the field as a substitute fielder. After getting the news about his father’s death on Friday morning, Rinku has exited the national camp to go to his hometown Aligarh to carry out the last rites.
The Pillar of Rinku’s Success
The story of Rinku Singh is frequently held up as the quintessential “rags-to-riches” story in Indian sports and Khanchand Singh was the man behind it all.
“My father worked as an LPG cylinder delivery man for decades. He worked in the heat and the cold so that I could hold a bat instead of a delivery crate.” — Rinku Singh in a previous interview.
In spite of severe financial difficulties Khanchand did not let his son’s dreams fade away. Even after Rinku’s success in the IPL and the Indian national team, the simple life of his father became a reason for the 28-year-old cricketer to stay grounded and be motivated.
Tributes from the Cricket World
As the news got out people from all over the world started paying tributes like Harbhajan Singh, Virendra Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and many others including Cricket Fans as well on his social media.
The BCCI and Rinku’s teammates have also shared their sentiments and reassured the player that the management fully supports him in taking as much time as he needs before coming back to the tournament. Although the Indian team is scheduled to play against the West Indies on March 1 in the vital Super 8 match, whether Rinku will be in the squad is still not clear. Some sources say he might get back to the team in Kolkata after the funeral. However, the team management has stated that the player’s condition and family are more important.
The thoughts of the entire cricketing nation are with Rinku Singh and his family during this period of immense grief.
