The Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan descended into chaos after Suryakumar Yadav’s men stunned Pakistan but were controversially denied the trophy. Yet, the night belonged to Rinku Singh. The left-hander delivered the winning runs with his trademark power-hitting and called it “God’s plan," especially since it was the only match he played in the entire tournament. But the joy didn’t last long. When the BCCI announced the squad for the five-match T20I series against South Africa, Rinku’s name was missing.

Meanwhile, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan offered a blunt explanation for Rinku’s surprise exclusion. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said Rinku’s omission was bound to happen the moment Hardik Pandya returned from injury.

“Hardik Pandya is back, so Rinku Singh is out

See Full Page