Cricketer Rinku Singh's father passes away of prolonged illness, funeral held in Aligarh

Aligarh/Noida, Feb 27 (PTI) Indian cricketer Rinku Singh's father, Khanchand Singh, passed away at a hospital in Greater Noida early Friday after a prolonged illness, family sources and hospital officials said.

Dr Sunil Kumar, spokesperson of Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida, where the cricketer's father was admitted, said Khanchand Singh was battling advanced-stage liver cancer.

"His condition had deteriorated significantly in recent days, following which he had been admitted to the hospital on February 21. He was placed on ventilator support and breathed his last early this morning," Kumar said.

Former coach of Rinku, Masood Amini, told PTI Videos in Aligarh that the cricketer's father had been battling liver cancer.

"Rinku's father has passed away. He was suffering from liver cancer. For the last three to four days, he was on ventilator support. This morning we received the news of his demise," Amini said.

Part of India's T20 World Cup squad, Rinku had returned home midway through the tournament to meet his ailing father in Noida. He rejoined the team ahead of the match against Zimbabwe on February 26. Though he did not feature in the playing 11, he was seen with the squad during the match, which India won convincingly.

The last rites were performed around 2 pm at a cremation ground in the Mahua Khera area of Aligarh.

Family members, relatives and several local residents attended the funeral.

Rinku Singh was present at the cremation along with his brothers and was seen shouldering his father's bier on the way to the cremation ground.

The cricketer, who was busy at the T20 World Cup, rushed to see his father when his condition deteriorated. He was present at the Noida hospital when his father breathed his last.

The funeral pyre was lit by Rinku's eldest brother Sonu Singh.

Lok Sabha MP from Aligarh Satish Gautam, BJP MLA Kol Anil Parashar and senior office bearers of the Aligarh District Cricket Association led by its president Vivek Bansal (former Congress MLA) were present.

According to Bansal, Rinku Singh is expected to leave home and join the team today.

Local MLA Anil Parashar and Member of Legislative Council Rishipal Singh were among several prominent persons from the city who attended the cremation to offer their condolences and express solidarity with the bereaved family.

The 28-year-old cricketer, a resident of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh, credits much of his success to his father. Khanchand Singh, who worked in gas cylinder distribution in Aligarh, supported his son's dream of becoming a cricketer despite financial hardships.

Rinku is engaged to Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj, and his father, despite battling liver illness, had attended his son's engagement ceremony at a Lucknow hotel in June 2025. PTI COR KIS NAV NB NB