India vs England: The Indian Cricket Team, under the head coach Gautam Gambhir, will face England in one of the most important matches of the T20 World Cup 2026 on Thursday. Ahead of the much-awaited semifinal encounter at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Gambhir shared words of encouragement for Cricketer Rinku Singh during his huddle speech.
The day before the game, Rinku's father, Khanchand Singh, passed away at a hospital in Greater Noida and was cremated on Friday in Aligarh, where many people came to pay their respects. Khanchand Singh lost his battle with fourth-stage cancer on Friday morning. A mourning Rinku carried his father's remains during the funeral procession to the crematorium.
“Rinku, it takes a lot of character to come and join the team – remember one thing, you are not alone, the whole team is standing next to you – so stay strong," Gambhir said.
Check out the video shared by the BCCI (Board of Cricket Control in India) on X.
Be Brave, Courageous: Gambhir
Gambhir then directed his words to the whole team, saying, “Guys, there is pressure. One thing is very clear: make sure that we don’t hide away from the pressure. We embrace it. We face it. And if at any time we feel we’re under pressure, make sure we take the positive move. Enjoy playing this game. This is what you play this game for this sport for this is what you’ve played all your life, games like this at home, knockout kind of a game. So make sure we go out there excited, not any under pressure anytime for next 40 overs, if you feel the pressure, make sure we take the positive move. Okay, be brave. Be courageous. Enjoy, enjoy playing for the country, and, most importantly, enjoy playing for each other. Okay, good luck."
Rinku's Struggle During T20 World Cup
Rinku, who was added to India’s World Cup squad at the last moment, has struggled with form in the tournament. He has scored 24 runs in five innings so far, including a duck against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
He also has a modest record against England. In three matches against the Harry Brook-led side, he has scored 39 runs in three innings, hitting five fours and one six.
India vs England, T20 World Cup 2026 Semi-Final Squads
India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma.
England: Harry Brook (C), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.
Inputs from Agency