Rinku Singh Rushes To UP's Aligarh For Father's Funeral Today

Rinku Singh's father, Khanchand Singh, passed away following his battle with stage-4 liver cancer on Friday morning. He was undergoing treatment at Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida and was on ventilator support before his death.

"His condition had deteriorated significantly in recent days, following which he had been admitted to the hospital on February 21. He was placed on ventilator support and breathed his last early this morning," Dr. Sunil Kumar, spokesperson of Yatharth Hospital, told PTI.

His father's dead body arrived in the family's hometown in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. The family said Khanchand Singh's last rites will be performed in Aligarh, and Rinku will attend the funeral expected later in the day.

"He left for Delhi from Chennai at 5am to rush to the hospital in Greater Noida, where his father was undergoing treatment," BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told IANS.

Part of India's T20 World Cup squad, Rinku had returned home midway through the tournament to meet his ailing father in Noida. He rejoined the team ahead of the match against Zimbabwe on February 26.

Rinku did not feature in the playing XI in Chennai, but did come on as a substitute fielder. India clinched a vital 72-run victory to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

The 28-year-old cricketer, a resident of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh, credits much of his success to his father. Khanchand Singh, who worked in gas cylinder distribution in Aligarh, supported his son's dream of becoming a cricketer despite facing financial hardships.

India's next game is a must-win 'quarter-final' against West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday.