The announcement of India’s T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against South Africa has led to widespread controversy among fans and analysts, with the exclusion of the finishing touches being the most notable talking point. Rinku singh. Rinku, who recently featured in the T20I Tour of Australia, is now out of the squad, raising questions about his form, balance and selection strategy.
Why was Rinku Singh omitted from India’s T20I squad for South Africa?
While Rinku has made an explosive start to his Indian career, his numbers have shown a noticeable flattening over the past 12 months. Among the last 17 T20IS, he has been bowled in just 11 innings, producing only one half-century and only one score above 30.
A series of short, single-digit dimes — often involving only a handful of balls — kept him from establishing a consistent rhythm. Analysts point out that since the home series against England in early 2025, Rinku has not been around for long for India, not as explosive as his break in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and recent T20 tournaments. With competition to strengthen roles, the immersion has weakened.
One of the biggest selection themes for the South Africa T20IS is India’s emphasis on multi-dimensional players. Four all-rounders – Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar – in the 15-man squad – giving the team more bowling options and tactical flexibility between different Indian pitches.
With Hardik returning from injury, the selectors opted for Sundar to fill the #7-8 Floater-finisher slot along with Dube, the pick to reclaim the finisher’s role. While Sundar can’t replicate both the rinku and a pure custom batter, it offers the dual benefit of the Rinku, with both spin and delay, and a delay-able shot.
With only 15 squad spots, specialists without secondary skills can always face pressure and Rinku appears to have been sidelined by India’s priority in the all-round balance.
Also, the selectors want Rinku to play the full domestic season rather than risk a long bench time in a series where India aims to protect a largely settled XI. This aligns with India’s approach to qualifying for the 2026 T20 World Cup, where consistent domestic performance is heavy.
Some data also pointed to this Rinku’s upcoming weddingScheduled for mid-December 2025, availability discussions were reported to be affected. Unless officially confirmed, a player may require personal time – another factor that could make selection less demanding for the South Africa series.
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India’s T20I squad for South Africa series
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill * (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Exhar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar
* Note: Subject to fitness clearance from BCCI Center of Excellence
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