Star batter Shubman Gill and pacer Avesh Khan are set to be released from the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup after their last Group A game against Ireland on Saturday. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
Gill and Khan alongside batter Rinku Singh and left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed went to the United States with the Indian team as travelling reserves. The team management is now certain that from the Super 8 stage onwards they will not be needing the services of Gill and Khan and thus the duo is being released.
Rinku and Khaleel will continue to be with the team.
According to a senior BCCI source, the move was decided well in advance.
"Shubman and Avesh were supposed to only stay till the group league stages in the United States. That was pre-decided. So, after Ireland game, they will be released from the squad," a senior BCCI source privy to the development told news agency PTI on condition of anonymity.
With all three Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj in fine form and Hardik Pandya supporting them well, India already have more than enough fast-bowling options.
As for Gill, Indian top order is already brimming with options. India's preferred opener in the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal is currently sitting on the bench. Sanju Samson can also open the innings.
India were playing all their four group games in the USA. The first three matches were played in New York while the last match will be played against Ireland in Florida on Saturday. From the Super 8 stage, there are no matches in the USA.
Here is India's T20 World Cup squad without Shubman Gill and Avesh Khan.
India T20 World Cup Squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj
Reserves: Rinku Singh and Khaleel Ahmed
