"Mumbai lobby politics working smoothly"- Fans erupt after Selectors ignore KKR star Rinku Singh for India vs West Indies T20I series

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Rinku Singh failed to secure a spot in the Indian T20I squad for the West Indies tour despite his stellar performances in IPL 2023.

On Wednesday (July 5) night, the selectors named a 15-man Team India squad for the 5-match T20I series against West Indies. Senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja are again missing from the list. Hardik Pandya will continue as the skipper in the shortest format, with Suryakumar Yadav as deputy.

Youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma have earned maiden call-ups to the Indian T20I side after putting on impressive performances this season in IPL. Sanju Samson, Ravi Bishnoi, and Avesh Khan made comebacks after missing the previous series.

Squad for West Indies series: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (VC), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (C), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.

Rinku Singh, in particular, was one of the standout players of IPL 2023, as he played the difficult role of a finisher with aplomb and delivered multiple match-winning contributions for KKR. Across 14 games, he scored 474 runs batting mostly at number 5 or below, at an impressive strike rate of 149.35.

He also produced one of the best knocks in IPL history this season when he did the unthinkable by smashing five sixes in the final over of a chase against Gujarat Titans to help KKR win.

After such performances, everyone felt that Rinku Singh might be drafted into the Indian T20I squad right after IPL as they require a reliable finisher in the team. However, the selectors ignored him for the West Indies series.

Fans were heavily disheartened after learning about the development and expressed their reactions through Twitter. Here are some of the best reactions:

The complete schedule for the 5-match T20I series between India and West Indies

August 3 (Thursday): 1st T20I, Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad (8:00 pm IST)

August 12 (Saturday): 4th T20I, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida (8:00 pm IST)

August 13 (Sunday): 5th T20I, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida (8:00 pm IST)

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Balakrishna has been a cricket writer at Sportskeeda for almost seven years. A sport that he has been following and playing since he was eight, Balakrishna enjoys the intensity of the sport, skills and strategies applied to get a result out of nowhere, and the thrill that it gives. He also played as a medium pace bowling all-rounder in four inter-college tournaments, winning twice.

Balakrishna’s all-time favorite cricketers are Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. He admires Sachin’s stellar performances against legendary bowlers, along with his discipline and humility. Meanwhile, he is a big fan of how Rohit turned around his initial struggles to build a successful career.

He avidly supports Team India and 2016 IPL winners SunRisers Hyderabad. The first World Cup that Balakrishna ever saw was the 2003 World Cup, when Australia comprehensively triumphed over India in the final.

While working, he ensures he only uses reliable sources and provides relevant, ethical, and accurate information. When not working, Balakrishna enjoys playing table tennis and reading non-fiction books.

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"Mumbai lobby politics working smoothly" - Fans erupt after Selectors ignore KKR star Rinku Singh for India vs West Indies T20I series

The complete schedule for the 5-match T20I series between India and West Indies