Looking at Shubman Gill as someone who will take Gujarat Titans forward: Ashish Nehra

Gujarat Titans (GT) head coach Ashish Nehra shared his insights on various aspects, including the transition of leadership from Hardik Pandya to Shubman Gill. He stated that the team is entering a new phase under their new captain. GT had a strong start in IPL 2025, winning two of their three matches so far. After an initial loss against Punjab Kings (PBKS), they have regained momentum with back-to-back victories.

Nehra expressed confidence in Shubman Gill’s leadership, stating that personal experience is the best teacher. He emphasised that results are not his only focus but rather Gill’s growth as a captain and individual. The former cricketer believes that if Gill remains grounded and continues learning, his potential is limitless.

“From all the conversations I’ve had with Shubman Gill over the past year, I believe a person learns best from their own experiences. So, this year, things will only get better and better," said Nehra on JioHotstar’s exclusive show ‘Aave De’.

"Again, for me, it’s not just about results. I’m looking at Shubman Gill as a person, as a captain, and as someone who will take this team forward. If a player like Shubman, who has been part of the same team for three to four years, stays grounded, keeps learning from the game, and continues to grow—which is in his nature—then the sky's the limit for him. This is what I believe,” he added.

Also read: 3 Players who can replace Kagiso Rabada in Gujarat Titans squad for IPL 2025

The former CSK player dismissed the idea that high scores like250 or 260 would become the norm in the IPL. He acknowledged that the impact player rule allows aggressive play but emphasised that pitch conditions matter. The former bowler pointed out that losing six wickets early still puts teams at a disadvantage, and last season’s average score was surprisingly below 200.

“No, I don’t think so. You might see scores of 225, 230, 250, or even 260 occasionally, but it’s still a long way off from becoming the norm," Nehra said. "The impact player rule was in place in 2023 as well. I understand that having an extra batsman allows teams to play more aggressively, but the pitch conditions also need to support that.

"Sometimes, losing six wickets puts a team on the back foot, and having an impact player doesn’t necessarily change that. If you lose six wickets by the 11th or 12th over, even your eighth batter won’t be able to do much. We’ve seen big scores of 240, 250, or 260 in the IPL, and some games have come close. But if you look at last season’s average score, the numbers are quite surprising—I don’t think it was even 200,” said GT coach on Impact Player’s rule.

The left-arm pacer cited the Champions Trophy final as an example, recalling how the Indian team, despite being at 90 runs in the 15th over, chased 250 in the last over due to pitch conditions. The 45-year-old emphasised that while flat wickets or dew can aid scoring, teams also get bowled out for 125, making 300 a challenging target.

“Take the Champions Trophy final as an example. We had around 90 runs in the 15th over but still chased down 250 in the last over because the pitch was different. Where there’s dew or flat wickets, scoring 250 consistently isn’t easy. When people talk about 250 or even 300, they forget that teams also get bowled out for 125. Cricket gives you all kinds of results. I still don’t believe scoring 300 is that easy,” he added on scoring 200 plus in the IPL.