Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly believes that the exclusion of hard-hitting batsman Rinku Singh from India’s 15-player ICC T20 World Cup squad is due to the decision to include a fourth spinner. During a press conference, India’s captain Rohit Sharma indicated the preference for four spinners in the squad without revealing the exact rationale behind the decision at the moment, hinting at a strategic plan in place.
Despite many in the cricketing community advocating for Rinku’s inclusion in the squad, India designated the Kolkata Knight Riders star as a travelling reserve. Rinku, who has amassed 356 runs for India in 15 T20Is with an impressive average of 89 and a strike rate of 176.24, found himself on the reserve list.
Commenting on Rinku’s omission, Ganguly offered words of encouragement, expressing belief in the young player’s future prospects and advising him not to be disheartened.
Ganguly also commended the management and Rohit for assembling a “strong team” for the upcoming tournament, considering it one of the fairest selections he has witnessed.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar echoed similar sentiments, describing Rinku’s exclusion as one of the toughest decisions the selectors had to make. He emphasized that the decision was solely based on the team’s strategy to include four spinners and not a reflection of Rinku’s capabilities.
India finds itself in Group A of the ICC tournament alongside Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and co-hosts USA. Their campaign will kick off against Ireland on June 5, followed by a highly anticipated clash against Pakistan on June 9, both matches to be held at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York. Subsequently, India will face off against the USA and Canada on June 12 and 15, respectively.