Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra believes that Shubman Gill is still on the path of learning in terms of captaincy and expects him to grow as he gains more experience. Gill, who captains India in Tests and ODIs, took over Gujarat Titans’ captaincy following Hardik Pandya’s departure. Under his leadership, GT have been immensely competitive, finishing as runners-up in the IPL 2026. 

Meanwhile, Nehra feels that the amount of responsibilities Gill is handling now will turn him into a more accomplished leader. At GT, Nehra has had the experience of working with two captains, who have their own style of leading the team.

Initially, Nehra worked with Hardik Pandya, who captained the franchise when it made its IPL debut in 2022. Their partnership brought fruitful outcomes for the team as Gujarat Titans lifted the trophy in their maiden season. Now, Nehra works with Gill at GT, and recently, comparing both Pandya's and Gill’s leadership, Nehra highlighted the things that separate both players.

“(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. Both of them were not somebody who has done much captaincy, but you learn on your way forward, and Shubman Gill is somebody who is pretty much doing captaincy for India in two formats. So, he is only going to get better,” Nehra said at Cricket Association of Bengal's annual awards ceremony in Kolkata.

“But Hardik is an amazing character. He completely trusted me, which was the perfect thing. He will always ask if something doesn’t go right or doesn’t go well. He is somebody who you can have lots of conversations with.”

Nehra pointed out that Gill tends to be quieter and more reserved than Pandya but also that Gill will become better as he moves forward.

"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 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 learner. Of course, he (Gill) 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," Nehra said.