"He has always been a star": Rahul Dravid heaps praise on Shubman Gill ahead of ICC WTC final

Shubman Gill scored 890 runs in the recently concluded IPL 2023, including three centuries and four half-centuries.

WTC Final 2023: Team India will take on Australia in the high-profile final of the World Test Championship 2023 final at The Oval, which will start on Wednesday, June 7. This game will be very important for both teams to win in the contest to stamp their authority in test cricket. After losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to India 3-1, Australia will look to take revenge and beat them in the final.

On the other hand, India, who suffered a loss in the last ICC WTC final against New Zealand, will have some unfinished business to complete. A win in the final will also help them end the ICC trophy drought. But for that, the Men in Blue need their key in-form players to step up and perform on the biggest stage. Talking about form, Shubman Gill is in the form of his life. The 23-year-old is breaking all batting records across formats. Especially in 2023, he is the leading run-scorer across formats.

WTC Final 2023: "Shubman Gill is finding his feat in International Cricket"- Indian Head Coach Rahul Dravid

Shubman Gill ended the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League as the top scorer and was one of the main reasons that the Gujarat Titans reached the final of the tournament. The 23-year-old scored 890 runs in 17 innings at an average and strike rate of 59.33 and 157.50, with a high score of 129. He also scored three centuries and four half-centuries. Team India will hope that he can continue his form and take India forward in the WTC final, when Rohit Sharma is struggling at the top.

Indian head coach Rahul Dravid also reckoned that Gill has taken giant steps in the international cricket and praised the young opener. In an interview on Star Sports, Dravid said, "Shubman has always been a star player. He has been a class player. He came into the U-19 World Cup and was already earmarked as someone who would become a very special player. He’s now experienced at this level, he’s more comfortable around this space. He’s got that confidence and belief that he can succeed at this level. He has really developed as a superb player."

Furthermore, the Indian head coach also spoke on the significance of the WTC final. He said that it is exciting for everyone to be on the big stage after two years of tough cricket, and the chance to play the final in England is always special. Team India will have some areas to address because of the injuries to their key players. But they will hope that others can do well and take India to victory.

Dravid concluded, "There’s a lot of work that leads to this match. You play two years and a lot of Test series and results need to go your way. The opportunity to get to play this game is certainly well-deserved. Test cricket in England is always special and has great significance."