Saba Karim, a former Indian cricket player, explained why the selectors did not find it difficult to choose Rinku Singh for India’s 2026 T20 World Cup. At the BCCI headquarters on December 20, the 15-member team for the major event the following year was revealed.
Rinku Singh absence from the T20I team for the just finished series against South Africa surprised Karim, he said.
For the pickers, it was really simple. The biggest surprise was that his name did not appear in the team following the Asia Cup. He had done nothing improper. In the Asia Cup, he was not given any opportunities. In the championship game, he had a chance to score the winning runs. “You didn’t choose him after that,” Karim said on Star Sports.
According to the former wicketkeeper-batter, Rinku was a more accomplished finisher than Jitesh Sharma. He added that, given the inclusion of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan in the system, Rinku was a more obvious pick than Jitesh.
“The selectors would have had an easy time. Which finisher is more fearsome, Rinku Singh or Jitesh Sharma, once the starting position has been determined? Then Rinku Singh is always your choice. Furthermore, with Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan already in the XV, why would you need another keeper?” he continued.
Earlier in the year, Rinku was a member of the India Cup winning team. However, he only participated in one game—the summit match against Pakistan. Rinku hit the winning runs in Dubai with a boundary on his first ball.
In relation to the 2026 T20 World Cup, India, the tournament’s co-host, is grouped with Pakistan, the Netherlands, the United States, and Namibia in Group A. On February 7, they will play the United States to begin their tournament at Wankhede Stadium.
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