New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) India batting stalwart Virat Kohli mourned the passing of batter Rinku Singh’s father, Khanchand, who passed away on Friday following a prolonged battle with liver cancer.

Khanchand had been admitted to Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida on February 21 after his condition deteriorated significantly and was placed on ventilator support before he passed away in the raly hours on Friday.

“Deeply saddened by the news of Rinku’s father’s demise. My heartfelt prayers and thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time. May you always find strength in his eternal blessings. Om Shanti,” Kohli shared on X.

The mortal remains of Khanchand Singh were brought to Aligarh from Greater Noida this afternoon, where Rinku gave a shoulder to the mortal remains of his father in his funeral procession.

Rinku, who left Chennai at 5:00 am to rush to New Delhi, had previously been by his father’s side when his condition worsened but rejoined the T20 World Cup squad ahead of India’s match against Zimbabwe at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday, though he did not feature in the playing eleven as Sanju Samson got the nod to play and open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma.

Earlier, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told IANS that Rinku will not travel with the team to Kolkata for their next Super Eights fixture against the West Indies, to be played on Sunday.

Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) chief Prem Manohar Gupta also condoled the demise of the cricketer’s father. “Really disheartened to hear about the demise of Rinku Singh’s father. Happiness had just begun to come into the family, and Rinku’s wedding had recently been fixed. At such a time, this loss feels even more painful. The entire UPCA stands firmly with Rinku Singh and his family,” he told IANS.

The BCCI president Mithun Manhas extended his heartfelt condolences via X post, “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Rinku Singh’s father. My heartfelt condolences to Rinku and his family in this difficult time. May lord Shiva give him the strength to stay strong.”

–IANS

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