India's T20 World Cup group stage campaign came to a conclusion on Saturday after their final match against Canada was washed due to a bad outfield in Florida. With seven points from three matches, India qualified for the Super 8 stage as Group A table toppers. With the Indian team set to travel to the Caribbean for the next round, Shubman Gill and Avesh Khan, who were part of 4-man travelling reserves contingent, will be released from the squad, with the duo set to fly back to India.
Only Rinku Singh and Khaleel Ahmed, the other two travelling reserves, will accompany the rest of the players for the Caribbean leg of the tournament.
Over the past few days, there have been rumours on social media that Gill is being sent back to India due to "disciplinary issues". However, India batting coach has quashed the rumours, saying that everything was pre-planned.
Rathour revealed that the management team had taken the call before the tournament that only two reserve players will join the team for the Caribbean leg.
"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," Rathour said during a press conference.
Speaking on the India vs Canada washout, Rathour said that the decision was taken in the best interests of both teams, admitting that they would've loved to get some match practice ahead of the Super 8 stage.
"Some reserve players are being released Of course, that concern is always there when you play on the conditions which are not ideal. So, decision to play or not to play over 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 play a game, to play a good game of cricket," he added.
"There's always a concern when you play a game in conditions like this that some injury can happen. You're already in Super 8 and you don't want that to happen. That's the last thing you want to happen before you enter the serious part of the tournament," he added.
India will play Afghanistan in their first game of the Super 8 phase on Thursday, June 20 in Barbados.