T20 World Cup 2024: "How can you drop Rinku Singh?" - Ex-KKR Director slams Rohit Sharma, Ajit Agarkar

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team director Joy Bhattacharjya expressed dissatisfaction over Rinku Singh's exclusion from India for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Joy Bhattacharjya questioned the selectors about why Rinku Singh was excluded from the squad despite being a consistent performer.

Rinku Singh failed to make it to the 15-member India squad for the marquee tournament, which was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday, April 30. The left-handed batter was included in the reserve players' list and can be added to the team in case of any injuries.

The 26-year-old made his T20I debut for the India team against Ireland in August last year. The middle-order batter has scored 356 runs in his 15 T20I appearances at an exceptional average of 89 and a remarkable striking rate of 176.24. He has smashed two half-centuries with a best score of 69 runs.

Rinku Singh Never Missed A Single Opportunity - Joy Bhattacharjya

Joy Bhattacharjya voiced his disappointment regarding Rinku Singh's omission from the Indian team. Bhattacharjya stated that Rinku should be an automatic choice in India's playing XI, highlighting his impressive T20I batting performances. He emphasized that Rinku delivered whenever given the opportunity.

"His current T20I batting average is 89. How can you drop this man? How can this guy not be an automatic first XI chance? He has never missed a single opportunity that he has been given," Joy Bhattacharjya said.

Former #<!---->K<!---->K<!---->R Team Director Joy Bhattacharjya expressed his displeasure over Rinku Singh snub from the Indian team.p<!---->i<!---->c<!---->.<!---->t<!---->w<!---->i<!---->t<!---->t<!---->e<!---->r<!---->.<!---->c<!---->o<!---->m<!---->/<!---->Q<!---->n<!---->0<!---->p<!---->c<!---->h<!---->b<!---->e<!---->e<!---->G

— KKR Vibe (@KnightsVibe) M<!---->a<!---->y<!----> <!---->3<!---->,<!----> <!---->2<!---->0<!---->2<!---->4

Rinku Singh has had a limited impact for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer has faced only 82 deliveries across eight innings. He has managed to score 123 runs at an average of 20.50 and a strike rate of 150, with a best score of 26.

The Toughest Thing We Had To Discuss - Ajit Agarkar

Team India's chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, stated that it was the toughest decision to exclude Rinku Singh from the 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup 2024. Agarkar emphasized that Singh's omission was not due to any fault of his own but was a result of the team's composition.

"It's probably the toughest thing we had to discuss. He has done nothing wrong. I don't think it has anything to do with Rinku Singh. It's not his fault that he has missed out. It's more the 15 that we felt gives with two keepers who are already terrific batters. So we just thought having another bowling option would be handy. He is still one of the traveling subs. That's how close he was," Agarkar said.

India's T20 World Cup Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.

Reserves – Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan

India has the opportunity to make adjustments to their final 15-member squad until May 25, as per ICC guidelines. The possibility remains for Rinku Singh to showcase exceptional performances in IPL 2024 and potentially secure a spot in the squad before the cut-off date.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma to be demoted in batting order? Ajay Jadeja shocks cricket world