NEW DELHI:
Rinku Singh
's family and friends in Aligarh were excited and ready with sweets and firecrackers but soon after India's squad for the upcoming
T20 World Cup
was announced, it turned into disappointment and sadness.
As the 26-year-old slogger failed to make the cut in the 15-man squad for the cricketing extravaganza in the Americas starting next month, his family was heartbroken.
Rinku, who had emerged as a terrific finisher in the last one year or so was primed to be in the squad but his omission came as a surprise for many alongside his family and friends.
Rinku's father, talking to the media, said his son was upset and had talked to his mother after the squad announcement.
"There were a lot of hopes, but there were disappointments as well. (Mithai aur patakhe laa ke rakhe the) We had got sweets and firecrackers with the hope that he will feature in the playing XI. Still, we are very happy," Rinku's father told Bharat 24.
However, Rinku will still be travelling with the team to the Americas as he has been named in the reserves alongside opener Shubman Gill and pacers Avesh Khan and Khaleel Ahmed.
"Yes, he was upset, he was talking to his mother. It is not like his heart has been broken. He was telling his mother that he would be going with the team, but has not featured in the 15-member squad," Rinku's father said.
Those who were privy to the selection meeting held in Ahmedabad on Tuesday before the announcement of the squad, unanimously agreed that Rinku became an easy omission for the panel because he couldn't be fitted alongside all-rounders
Hardik Pandya
and Shivam Dube in the same 15.
"No doubt, Rinku paid the price for the Impact Player Rule. He is plain and simple unlucky. Hardik might be in poor form but he is still India's best seam bowling all-rounder and it would have been a risk dropping him considering he is the only one who has bowled," a
BCCI
source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Rinku not finding a place in the main India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas surprised the likes of former all-rounder Irfan Pathan and ex-Australia skipper Aaron Finch, but the legendary Sunil Gavaskar attributed it to the left-handed batter's poor form in the ongoing IPL.
"Maybe his form in this particular edition of the IPL hasn't been great. He hasn't had that many opportunities, maybe that's the reason why they've (selectors) not picked him," Gavaskar said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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