Rinku Singh, who lost his father two days before India’s virtual quarter-final clash in the Super 8 of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 against West Indies at the Eden Gardens, made his way into the side on the eve of the fixture. The southpaw didn’t feature in the eleven, but it was a hard and brave decision from him to be with the team.

During the team huddle of the Blue Brigade before the game against West Indies, Gautam Gambhir, India’s head coach, dropped a special message for Rinku as he revealed the character the lower-order batter showed in taking the field in that tough time.

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“Guys, before I start. Rinku, it takes a lot of character to come and join the thing. Rinku, it takes a lot of character to come & join the team. Remember one thing: you are not alone; the whole team is standing next to you. One thing is pressure- that’s very clear. Make sure that we don’t hide away from the pressure. Whenever you feel the pressure, try to take it in the positive way.” Gambhir expressed.

Gautam Gambhir praises Rinku Singh ahead of T20 WC 2026 semi-final

Rinku has been one of India’s vital members of the T20I set-up. He smashed the last ball boundary to win the Asia Cup 2025 last year. Meanwhile, Gambhir gave an energetic speech on the game against the West Indies.

“Make sure you love the game. Because this is what you play sports for. This is what you play for. At home, this is a knockout kind of a game. Make sure you go out there excited, and not under pressure. If you feel the pressure for the next 40 mins, make sure you try to take it positively.” The Indian head coach addressed.

“Be brave and courageous. You are playing for the country. Most importantly, always enjoy playing the game.” Gambhir concluded as India face England in the second semifinal on March 05 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.