The BCCI announced a 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on Tuesday, September 1. The selection saw eight changes from the squad that played the Zimbabwe series in Harare, where Rinku Singhfeatured in all three matches. Among those left out for the Afghanistan assignment was the left-handed batter Rinku Singh, who has been a regular in India's T20I setup since his debut on August 18, 2023 against Ireland.
Wasim Jaffer, the former India batter, expressed his views on
Rinku Singh's exclusion from the squad. Jaffer acknowledged the challenges of squad management when senior players return to the setup but maintained that Rinku Singh's performances warranted continued selection.
"He has played very well in the IPL, and even recently, whether you talk about the Uttar Pradesh Premier League or the Duleep Trophy. Even though the latter is red-ball cricket. So, I feel Rinku Singh is unfortunate that he hasn't been able to make his place in the team. But among all these players, I would say that, for Rinku Singh, it feels a little like he has been left out of the team for no real reason," Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
Jaffer elaborated further on the challenges of squad rotation when established players return to the T20I setup. He emphasised that Rinku Singh had consistently delivered whenever given the opportunity in the national team.
"I mean, it’s understandable because when all your players return, unfortunately, you have to make room for them. I feel a little bad for Rinku Singh because it doesn’t seem like he has done much wrong. To be honest, whenever he has got an opportunity, he has always done well, and he plays in very critical positions. But whenever he plays, his performances have been good." Jaffer said.
The Afghanistan series squad included the return of Sanju Samsonand Jasprit Bumrah to the T20I setup. The batter was part of the Indian team that won the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Asia Cup.
India's squad for the Afghanistan T20I series
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana.
