WTC Final 2023: Virat Kohli Keen To Help Shubman Gill Grow And Understand Potential

Team India lock horns with Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final at The Oval in London with the Ultimate Test scheduled to start on Wednesday (June 7).

Gill has been in good form in all three formats of the game over the last 12 months, with the 23-year-old scoring a record-breaking ODI double-century at the start of the year and then producing a superb IPL, where he smashed 3 centuries.

The young opener also smashed a Test century against Australia earlier this year in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where he also scored 2 of his 3 IPL hundreds.

Kohli was full of praise for the youngster, who he feels is a very keen learner and has a great skill set as well as temperament at that young age.

“He (Gill) speaks to me a lot about the game, is very keen to learn and has an amazing skill set at his age,” Kohli told the ICC.

“He has got an amazing ability and a temperament to perform at the highest level and is confident and we do have that relationship and we do have that understanding based upon respect.”

Kohli has revealed the impact he has had on the emergence of Gill and believes the young opener is primed to perform consistently for the long run, which will be a big benefit for Indian cricket.

“I am keen to help him grow and really understand his potential and come into his own so that he can play for a long time and perform consistently and India cricket gets benefited,” Kohli added.

While Kohli has been labelled “The King”, Gill has been labelled “The Prince”, Kohli feels that these tags are a great thing for the public, but added that it’s a role for any senior player to help improve youngsters.

“These tags of king and prince and all of that kind of thing are great for the public and spectators to see, but I think the job of any senior player is to help improve the youngsters and give them the insight you have had throughout your career,” Kohli said.

Kohli also said the Gill is very keen to learn and perform at the highest level for a longtime. The former India captain hopes the youngster carries his form into the WTC Final against Australia.

“As long as a guy is keen to learn like him he is going to be fine as he wants to learn how to do this for a long time at the highest level and perform consistently. He is a lovely kid and he is playing amazingly well and I wish he continues the same in this Test match.”