Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra provides a candid assessment of Shubman Gill’s evolving captaincy, contrasts his style with Hardik Pandya, and offers his perspective on the uncertain 2027 World Cup prospects for cricket stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Key Points
- Ashish Nehra believes Shubman Gill is a “work in progress” as a captain, learning and improving with experience.
- Nehra contrasts Gill’s reserved leadership style with Hardik Pandya’s more communicative approach, noting both are eager to learn.
- The future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the 2027 ODI World Cup is uncertain, as performance can change situations rapidly.
- Nehra expresses no regrets about past World Cup losses, viewing them as valuable learning experiences.
- While honoured by the prospect, Nehra states he has no immediate ambition to become India’s head coach, content with his current role at GT.
India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill is still a “work in progress” as a leader and will get better with experience, his Gujarat Titans team head coach Ashish Nehra said on Monday.
Nehra and Hardik Pandya forged a highly successful captain-coach partnership after joining forces when Gujarat Titans entered the IPL in 2022.
They guided the franchise to the title in its debut season and took it to the final again in 2023.
Pandya’s departure paved the way for Gill to take over as GT captain, and the youngster led the side to a runners-up finish in the last IPL season.
‘Shubman is a Little Reserved, a Little Shy’
“They are very, very different. You are talking about north pole and south pole. Both of them were like me, not somebody who has done much coaching,” Nehra said, comparing Pandya and Gill.
“Both of them were not somebody who has done much captaincy, but you learn on your way forward, and suddenly somebody is pretty much doing captaincy for India in two formats. He is only going to get better.”
The former India pacer was speaking on the sidelines of the Cricket Association of Bengal’s (CAB) annual awards ceremony in Kolkata, where he was the special guest.
Nehra said Pandya was someone who completely “trusted” him and was always keen to learn, while Gill is “more reserved but equally eager to improve”.
“One thing is for sure: he (Pandya) completely trusted me, which was the perfect, perfect thing. He will always be keen to learn. He will always ask if something doesn’t go right or doesn’t go well. He is somebody you can have lots of conversations with.
“The other way around, Shubman is a little reserved, a little shy, but that’s okay. Everyone is different. There is no right or wrong. He (Gill) is someone who will not talk or have as many conversations as Hardik Pandya, but he is to the point. He is somebody who is very keen to learn and keen to observe.
“Of course, he is a work in progress. He is only 26-27, and it is not that he has been doing captaincy for so many years. It is only 1-2 seasons, and you learn things and you will get better.”
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Rohit And Kohli’s Future For 2027 World Cup
Nehra refused to read too much into the future of India’s two batting stalwarts, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, with the next ODI World Cup scheduled to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2027.
Rohit will be 40 and Kohli 39 when the tournament takes place.
Nehra said it was too early to say whether the two veterans would still be in India’s plans, pointing out that performances can change the situation even a few weeks before a major event.
“We have seen, not in Indian cricket but in any sport, that even 2-3 weeks before, things change. If they are doing well, if they are performing, why not? It’s not going to be easy for any coach or any captain when it comes to these players.
“We all know, we don’t need to discuss what they have done in the past. For 13 months, a long time, it is very difficult to say right now that Rohit or Virat will be there. I mean, for those guys, age is no number. I’m saying no to any certainty.
“Yes, we talk about Shubman Gill, we talk Bumrah, but the same Gill is not in T20 sport. The way he is playing is fast-speed sport in more formats. It is difficult to say. It is too early for me.”
Nehra’s Coaching Ambitions and Past Reflections
Asked if he has ambitions of becoming India’s head coach, Nehra said he does not plan his future roles and is content with his current position at GT.
“First thing first, I will not use the word ambition. I never plan. Yes, it will be a great honour and a privilege, but I never plan things like that. We’ll see in the future. No, no ambition. I’m very happy where I am.
“When it comes to GT, lots of people say like you have done well in coaching. It’s not me; it’s about the team. Yes, when your captain, when your coach is always associated, that’s the way it goes, especially in India, but I’m dead against it.
“When it comes to team sport, it should not be like Shubman Gill won, or Nehra won, but it should be GT won.”
Nehra, who played in India’s 2003 World Cup campaign, also reflected on the team’s harrowing 125-run defeat to Australia in the final at the Wanderers but said he has no regrets about the loss.
“Not really. What’s gone is gone. It’s always a good learning. It was not the only final I played, and we lost. I played some other finals also, and we lost. Every time you don’t win, yes, as a player, you are always gutted when you look back, but it’s not only me.
“There are so many players, I am sure, in international cricket, who have lost more finals than the final we were discussing.”
Drawing parallels with the 2024 World Cup in India where also India lost to Australia in the final in Ahmedabad, he said: “The whole tournament, we were playing well, in the 2024 50-over World Cup in India, our team was no different, and exactly the final we lost in Ahmedabad.
“In fact, we were more dominating than we were in 2003, but that’s part and parcel of the game. I never look back, and I’m not somebody who regrets too much. I always look forward.”
Source: www.rediff.com
