India not concerned by lack of runs for Gill and Suryakumar

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The lack of recent runs from Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav in the shortest format is of little concern to India, according to assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.

The key pair have combined for just 21 runs through the opening two matches of the ongoing T20I series against South Africa and you need to go back further than 12 months ago to find the last time either player scored a half-century at T20I level.

Gill was dismissed on his first ball during India's 51-run loss to South Africa in New Chandigarh on Thursday as the Proteas levelled the five-match T20I series at 1-1, while Surykumar didn't fare much better as he lasted just four deliveries for his five runs.

That would normally cause alarm bells for teams less than two months out from the next edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, but the India camp are remaining calm and expect the duo to come good sooner rather than later.

"I saw some good signs of a change of mentality (from Gill) on the backend of that Australian tour (in November)," ten Doeschate noted.

"The two dismissals in this series (against South Africa), I thought in the first game we asked the guys to go out there and attack the Powerplay and it wasn't a great wicket at Cuttack, so I will let him off that one.

"And I thought he got a good ball today which can happen when you are short on form.

"But we also know the class. If you look at his IPL record where he stacks up 700 runs, 600 runs, 800 runs, 600 runs.

"We believe in his class and we believe he will come good."

Ten Doeschate's prognosis on India's T20I skipper was similar, with the former South Africa international expecting Suryakumar to thrive at the upcoming T20 World Cup with the extra burden of the captaincy.

"It's exactly the same with Surya," ten Doeschate said.

"You mentioned about the leadership roles and we are quite far down the road now with our planning and how we have set the team up.

"Personally, I think you back quality players and quality leaders like that and they will come good.

"I can understand from the outside it looks like a concern, but I have got absolute faith in both of them coming good at the right time for us."

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The series between India and South Africa now moves to Dharamsala for the crucial third game on Sunday.

Series schedule:

First T20I: December 9, Cuttack (India won by 101 runs)
Second T20I: December 11, Chandigarh (South Africa won by 51 runs)
Third T20I: December 14, Dharamsala
Fourth T20I: December 17, Lucknow
Fifth T20I: December 19, Ahmedabad