“He has a good head” – Ashish Nehra backs Shubman Gill to lead Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024
Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra has backed Shubman Gill to lead Gujarat Titans for IPL 2024. He pointed out that the youngster has improved his game over the last few years.
The reaction comes weeks after the Titans officially appointed Gill as captain ahead of the 2024 season. These developments took place after Hardik Pandya left the Ahmedabad-based franchise to rejoin Mumbai Indians during the trade window.
Gill’s elevation to captaincy could be a reward for his brilliant outing int the IPL last time out. He was the leading run-scorer in IPL 2023, scoring 890 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 157.80, including three tons and four half-centuries.
He has big shoes to fill since Pandya led to franchise to two consecutive IPL finals, including a maiden title during their inaugural (2022) season.
Nehra recently told The Times of India:
“IPL is a fast game and it throws challenges for everyone. We have seen how Shubman Gill has been playing for three-four years and how he has shaped up. He is 24-25, but he has a good head on his shoulders. We are there to support him. We believe in him that’s why we have made him the captain.”
He added:
“I am not someone who will always go by results. There are so many other things too. Yes, everyone strives for results. Everyone looks for results. But when it comes to captaincy, you must see different things. We are very confident that Shubman is the right guy.”
“We bought Shahrukh Khan because we trusted him” – Ashish Nehra on Gujarat Titans squad for IPL 2024
Ashish Nehra further revealed why Gujarat Titans splurged ₹7.4 crore cash to recruit Shahrukh Khan. He said:
“We bought Shahrukh Khan because we trusted him, we believed in him and we saw what he could do.”
Shahrukh was previously associated with Punjab Kings, who failed to resign him despite entering a bidding war with GT. The right-handed batter has amassed 426 runs in 31 innings at a strike rate of 134.81.
GT squad for IPL 2024: Abhinav Sadarangani, B. Sai Sudharsan, Darshan Nalkande, David Miller, Jayant Yadav, Joshua Little, Kane Williamson, Matthew Wade, Mohammad Shami, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad, R. Sai Kishore, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill (captain), Vijay Shankar, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav, Shahrukh Khan, Kartik Tyagi, Sushant Mishra, Spencer Johnson, Robin Minz and Manav Suthar.