"India should give maximum opportunities to Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad" - Salman Butt praises rising stars
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt heaped praise on Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad while speaking on his official YouTube channel.
During a Q & A session with his fans, Salman Butt was asked if Shubman Gill can bat in the middle-order for the Indian cricket team.
Replying to that query, Butt highlighted Gill's sound technique and mentioned he could bat anywhere in the batting unit. He also took Ruturaj Gaikwad's name and said:
"I have said this before also. Shubman Gill can bat anywhere in the batting order. With the kind of technique and stability he has, the shots that he plays and his temperament is good, so he can bat anywhere. He is an excellent player.
"He and Ruturaj Gaikwad are fantastic products of Indian cricket in the batting department. In my opinion, they should be given maximum opportunities, especially in Tests and ODIs."
Neither Shubman Gill nor Ruturaj Gaikwad have played international cricket in the last five months. Gaikwad was part of the Indian T20I squad that played against New Zealand recently.
However, he warmed the benches in all three games. Meanwhile, Gill has been selected for the upcoming Test series versus the Black Caps.
Rahul Dravid is very humble: Salman Butt
Salman Butt also spoke about India's new head coach Rahul Dravid. He appreciated Dravid's comments after the T20I series win against New Zealand and said:
"Rahul Dravid is very humble. He is down to earth and it was a very professional talk. He admitted that we had won, but the opposition came after playing in the T20 World Cup Final.
"It is not easy to prepare mentally for another international series so soon. Also, New Zealand lost all three tosses. If you play too much, obviously there is a difference in your intensity levels."
T20I series sweep ✅
Over to the Test series, with smiles & some celebrations 😊
Here's what #TeamIndia Head Coach Rahul Dravid has to say.
#INDvNZ @Paytm https://t.co/5s4nvQURk8
Salman Butt concluded by saying that India and Rahul Dravid know that the ultimate goal is the T20 World Cup 2022 championship. Hence, the team will aim to continue playing the same way in the upcoming games.