Indian cricketer Rinku Singh’s father, Khanchand Singh, passed away early Friday at a hospital in Greater Noida after a prolonged illness, family sources and hospital officials confirmed.

Dr. Sunil Kumar, spokesperson of Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida, said Khanchand Singh had been battling advanced-stage liver cancer.

"His condition had deteriorated significantly in recent days, following which he had been admitted to the hospital on February 21. He was placed on ventilator support and breathed his last early this morning," Kumar said.

Rinku’s former coach, Masood Amini, also confirmed the news to PTI Videos in Aligarh.

"Rinku's father has passed away. He was suffering from liver cancer. For the last three to four days, he was on ventilator support. This morning we received the news of his demise," Amini said.

Rinku, part of India’s T20 World Cup squad, had returned home midway through the tournament to be with his ailing father in Noida and rejoined the team ahead of the match against Zimbabwe on February 26. Though he did not feature in the playing XI, he was seen supporting the squad during India’s convincing win.

The family said Khanchand Singh’s last rites will be performed in Aligarh, with Rinku expected to attend later in the day.

A resident of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh, Rinku credits much of his cricketing success to his father, who worked in gas cylinder distribution and supported his son’s dream despite financial hardships. Khanchand Singh had also attended Rinku’s engagement ceremony to Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj in Lucknow in June 2025, despite his health challenges.