Indian cricketer Shubhman Gill.
Credit: PTI Photo
As Group A table toppers, India has qualified for the Super Eight stage after securing seven points from three matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
While the team is all set to travel to Caribbean for the next stage of the league, Shubhman Gill and Avesh Khan who were part of the four reserve players group would head back to India. Rinku Singh and Khaleel Ahmed, who were part of the reserve players group, would join the team in West Indies. However, Gill and Khan's departure is not due to the rumoured 'disciplinary issues'.
Rumours have been doing the rounds on social media that Gill was being sent back due to 'disciplinary issues'.
Quashing all such rumours, the Indian cricket team's current batting coach Vikram Rathour said that the development was already pre-planned.
Rathour said that the decision to have only two reserve players to join the team for the Caribbean leg of the tournament was made even before the tournament had commenced.
"This was a plan from the beginning. When we come to the US, four players will come together. After that two will be released and two will travel with us to West Indies. So, this plan was made from the beginning since the team was selected. This was planned so we are just following that," NDTV Sports quoted Rathour as saying.
Rathour also spoke about the contest between India and Canada being abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain at the Central Broward Regional Park stadium on Saturday.
Admitting that getting some match practice ahead of the tournament would be beneficial, the batting coach said that the decision was taken keeping the interest of the team in minds.
"Of course, that concern is always there when you play on the conditions which are not ideal. Decision to play or not to play is with the match officials. So as a team we didn't have any say in that. But if the game had happened that would have really helped us. We were really looking forward to playing a game, to play a good game of cricket," Rathour said.
India will be seen playing their first game of the Super Eight stage race against Afghanistan in Bridgetown, Barbados on June 20.