Shubman Gill, currently with the Indian as a travelling reserve, will return home after the conclusion of the US leg of the matches of the Indian team in the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup. One of the reserve pacers, most likely Avesh Khan, could also fly back home after the game against Canada in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on June 15.
As of Thursday, both players are in Florida, having flown with the team from New York to Fort Lauderdale by a chartered flight on Wednesday. The charter was organised for both the India and USA teams after the game between the sides at Nassau County International Stadium in Long Island on Wednesday afternoon.
It has been learnt that both Gill and Avesh travels were only up to the US leg unless there were unexpected injuries to the players. They flew with the side as travelling reserves because it would not be immediately possible for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to send in reinforcement from India to the US or the Caribbean in case of an unforeseen injury to a player.
The pair may be asked to stay put in case a regular player gets injured during scheduled practice on June 14 or in the game next day. But the likelihood of that is remote because the prevailing inclement weather in Florida could disrupt the World Cup schedule. There’s also a third opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, in the squad and there may not be a need for an extra pacer because the team is expected to rely more on spinners in the Caribbean leg.
Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh were the reserves originally named by the selection committee when the squad for the World Cup was announced on April 30. As of now Rinku and Khaleel may stay on with the squad and travel to Bridgetown, Barbados, where India play their first of Super 8 game on June 20. The other two Super 8 games are in Antigua on June 22 and in St Lucia on June 24. Should they reach the semifinals, it will be in Georgetown, Guyana, on June 27 with the final scheduled for Bridgetown on June 29.
