Dinesh Karthik bets for Shubman Gill to do well in WTC Final, says 'he is ready for sure'

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has heaped praise on fellow Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) teammate Shubman Gill, saying the opener is "ready" to take up the challenge in England later this month. Karthik, who has captained Gill in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said the young batsman has the skills and the mindset to deliver on a big stage such as the World Test Championship final, adding "what matters is whether he is able to put all that into foray". In a video shared by KKR, Karthik said Gill just needs to go out there with trust in his ability and play "bold cricket". Karthik said he has no doubts that Gill will eventually end up being one of the greats of Indian cricket.

'Shubman is ready'

"He is ready for sure. He has the skill-sets, he has the game, he has a mindset to score big runs. Whether he is able to put all that into the foray, because England has been a tough country for openers to do well, and obviously he there right in the middle of it along with Rohit Sharma. So, for me, he's got the game, he's got the mind, he's got the skill and most importantly he's got the hunger. And these are the basic pre-requisites you need to do well in international cricket. He's ticked every box. For him, it is about going out there, trusting his skills, trusting his ability, and play the boldest form of cricket. I have no doubt he will end up being one of the greats of Indian cricket," Karthik said. 

Earlier this year, Shubman Gill played an important role in India's historic Test series win against Australia down under, for which he was awarded and given a chance against England at home. In the final match at the Gabba, Gill scored an impressive 91 runs in the second innings before Rishabh Pant steered the ship to victory. However, the 22-year-old failed to make a mark against the visiting English team as he couldn't score big as an opener. 

Karthik also called the World Test Championship (WTC) final a "very important" match as it will help decide the first-ever Test champions of the world. Karthik said just like everyone remembers the first winner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), people will always remember India and New Zealand for the historic encounter. Karthik said India has a chance of being remembered for a long time in the history of cricket if they manage to win the WTC final and the same goes for New Zealand too. 

The Kohli-led side arrived in the UK on June 3 and is currently undergoing their mandatory isolation period at an on-site hotel in Southampton. The Indian team is currently practising in batches and will only start training as a whole group after a couple of more COVID-19 tests to ensure the safety of individual players. 

IMAGE: IPL/PTI