India head coach Rahul Dravid defends Shubman Gill after a string of low scores on the WI tour

Shubman Gill could not make an impact while batting in the top order for India in the recent few matches. 

Shubman Gill was the star performer for Gujarat Titans in their recent Indian Premier League campaign. The young opener notched up 890 runs to win the orange cap. After the IPL 2023, India played in the World Test Championship final. Despite being the star of the IPL 2023, Shubman Gill could not make an impact against Australia, where he managed only 13 and 18. 

After the WTC final, India are currently in West Indies, where the team has opted to experiment in the ODIs. In the second ODI, the management rested top players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and opted for youngsters.

Shubman Gill opened the innings with Ishan Kishan, and the duo added 90 runs for the 1st wicket. However, Gill managed only 34 runs while striking at 69.4, whereas, Ishan Kishan scored a consecutive half-century.

Talking about his performance, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid extended his support for the youngster. "I won't worry so much about Shubman. He is batting really well, he looks really good. It can happen, you can't criticise people after every single game. These things can happen, it's not easy batting conditions. We needed to grind and fight it out there. Shubman is an important part of all the three formats now," Dravid said. 

Ishan Kishan is taking the opportunities when given a chance: Rahul Dravid

While Shubman Gill has had a forgettable tour so far, this one has turned out to be a contrasting one for Ishan Kishan. Opening the innings for India, Ishan Kishan has scored half-centuries in both ODIs so far. Talking about his performance, Rahul Dravid has lauded Kishan for making full use of the opportunity.

"Ishan has done really well. This is the third fifty in a row now counting the Test matches. He is taking the opportunities when he is given the chance. That's all we ask from young players," Dravid said.

India won the first ODI but lost the second one. The team managed only 181 while batting first. The hosts chased down the total in 37 overs to win the match by four wickets. The teams will lock horns for the final ODI on Tuesday before heading to the five-match T20I series.