Rinku Singh ‘forced’ into India’s T20 World Cup squad on Political Pressure as Shubman Gill sacrificed

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Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh and Rajeev Shukla

A major controversy has erupted over India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad, with explosive claims suggesting that middle-order finisher Rinku Singh was a “non-negotiable” pick due to political pressure, directly leading to the shocking exclusion of Shubman Gill.

It is being said that Rinku was never part of the plans for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, but the political influence in the BCCI selection committee made this possible, and players like Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jitesh Patel paid the price.

Rinku Singh: “Non-Negotiable” Pick Amid Political Pressure

Rinku was treated as a non-negotiable pick, no matter the team balance or form equation. Reports hinted that the BCCI Vice-President, Rajeev Shukla, forced Rinku’s selection in the T20 World Cup squad at the expense of Gill.

Read Also: Shubman Gill Vijay Hazare Trophy participation: Full schedule, venues and dates revealed

It was hinted that the national selectors were under immense political influence during the final meeting, and at the last minute, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star was named in the squad that ultimately sacrificed Shubman Gill. It is being said that Rinku Singh’s Asia Cup 2025 selection was also influenced by the political pressure.

The “Cycle” Hint and Political Connection

Both Rajeev Shukla and Rinku Singh hail from Uttar Pradesh, but the major twist is that the Indian cricketer’s fiancée, Priya Saroj, was reportedly involved in all this. Priya Saroj is a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Machhlishahr constituency, Uttar Pradesh, and she represents the Samajwadi Party.

A few TOI journalists added fuel to the fire with a cryptic hint pointing toward political pressure. The phrase being discussed by them openly on social media is linked to the Samajwadi Party, whose symbol is the cycle.

The Domino Effect: How Jitesh Sharma’s Exit Cost Gill

Rinku Singh’s inclusion directly led to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma being dropped. With no specialist backup wicketkeeper, the team management scrambled to rebalance the squad, needing to add a wicketkeeping option elsewhere.

Read Also: Rinku Singh accuses ex-KKR teammate of being an imposter and wooing fiancée Priya Saroj

This reshuffle is the tactical domino that ultimately fell on Shubman Gill as Ishan Kishan, the in-form opener and wicketkeeper-batter, was recalled into the side.

By the Numbers: Rinku Singh vs Shubman Gill

Rinku boasts a superior finishing strike rate, while Gill’s recent form slump in T20Is is cited as the public reason for his omission. The left-handed batter has so far played 35 T20Is and scored 550 runs at an impressive average of 42.30 and a blistering strike rate of 161.76.

His current form is also stunning, and he is currently captaining Uttar Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 and has already smashed a match-winning fifty and century.

On the other hand, Gill failed to justify his T20I chances, and he was under immense pressure because of his poor form in the format. The right-handed batter has 869 runs in 36 games at an average of 28.03 and a strike rate of 138.59 to his name so far.