‘Unfortunate but obvious’ – Irfan Pathan feels Hardik Pandya’s return led to Rinku Singh snub

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has suggested that Rinku Singh was not selected in India’s T20I squad for their upcoming five-match series against South Africa due to Hardik Pandya‘s return. The 15-member squad for the five-match T20I series was announced by the BCCI on December 3.

Irfan predicted that a nearly identical squad will be picked for the T20 World Cup to be played next year, adding that it will be .

“Hardik Pandya is back so Rinku Singh is out. Rinku Singh is unfortunate but this was obvious once Hardik was ready to return. This squad is 90-95% of what India will pick for the 2026 T20 World Cup,” stated Irfan in a video on his YouTube channel.

Irfan noted that the management will have to figure out their bowling combinations ahead of the mega event. He also pointed out the importance of Hardik in the 20-over setup going into the multi-team tournament.

“India have to clear several things. Whether they go with Bumrah, Hardik and Shivam Dube along with the three spinners, Axar, Kuldeep and Varun Chakaravarthy. But I believe Hardik’s role will be the most crucial for India’s progress in T20Is and in the World cup. Him and one other finisher playing with him, those two will be most crucial for whether India winning the trophy again or not,” he added.

Hardik, who recently featured in a few Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches to prove match fitness, had been ruled out of competitive cricket after he sustained an injury during India‘s title-winning 2025 Asia Cup campaign. Rinku’s exclusion was not taken kindly by the cricket fraternity though.

The Men in Blue are currently featuring in the third ODI of the 50-over leg of the all-format series on December 6. They have already lost the Test series after getting whitewashed. The T20Is are scheduled to commence on Tuesday, December 9.