Rinku Singh reveals Rohit Sharma's comment about his age following T20 World Cup snub

Rinku Singh revealed that captain Rohit Sharma had a heart-to-heart conversation with him following his exclusion from India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad. Despite his impressive performances in T20I cricket, both domestically and internationally, Rinku was left out of the final 15-man squad for the tournament. Instead, he was named as a travelling reserve, with the selectors and team management opting for an additional bowling option in light of Hardik Pandya's history of injuries.

Shivam Dube, who had an excellent IPL 2024 for Chennai Super Kings, got the nod. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said Rinku's omission was the toughest choice for them. “(Not picking Rinku Singh) the toughest thing that we have to discuss. Rinku hasn’t done anything wrong," he had said.

As it turned out, Dube had a pretty decent World Cup with the bat, playing some crucial knocks in the middle order. India won the T20 World Cup, beating South Africa in the final, putting an end to their long wait for a world title.

Rinku recalls captain Rohit's words

As Rinku gears up for the home season, the left-hander said Rohit Sharma told him not to worry about missing out on a World Cup spot as he would get more chances in the near future.

"Haan woh (Rohit Sharma) aaye the samjane ki koi baat nahi, teri umar hi kya hai. World Cup aage bohut hai. Mehnat karte reh. Har do saal mein World Cup aata hai, uspe dhyaan de. Koi dikkat nahi hai, pareshan mat ho [He came to me and made me understand that it was okay; you are still very young. There will be many World Cups in the future. Keep working hard. There is a World Cup every two years, so focus on that. Don’t be disappointed]," Rinku quoted Rohit in an interview with News24.

The left-hander from Uttar Pradesh, who was surprisingly not named in any of the Duleep Trophy squads, continues to be one of the best finishers in T20 cricket. He should be an automatic choice for the three-match home T20I series against Bangladesh in October.

The 26-year-old said he admires the captaincy style of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

"I like Rohit Sharma's captaincy. I like Virat Kohli as well because aggression is very important while leading a team. So, his captaincy was also very good," Rinku stated.

Stay informed with the latest updates on live cricket score, cricket players, match schedules and ICC rankings. Keep an eye on your favourite cricket team, including the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Check out the cricket schedule, track team standings and dive into player stats and rankings on Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times website and app.