Ashish Nehra has drawn a striking comparison between the captaincy approaches of Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill, two leaders who have steered Gujarat Titans at different points in the franchise’s history.
Pandya led the team to the IPL title in their inaugural 2022 season and guided them to another final in 2023, while Gill took over the captaincy after Pandya’s departure and led Gujarat Titans to the IPL final in 2026.
“They are very different. You are talking about the North Pole and the South Pole. Both of them were also learning, just like I was. Neither of them had done much captaincy before. But you learn as you move forward,” Nehra said during the CAB Annual Awards ceremony in Kolkata (via RevSportz).
Nehra opined that Shubman will improve as captain as he is leading the Indian team in Tests and ODIs at the moment. The Gujarat Titans’ head coach said that while Shubman is quite shy, Hardik used to have a lot of conversations with his team.
“Shubman Gill is now captaining India in two formats, so he is only going to get better. Shubman is a little reserved and a little shy. But that’s okay. Everyone is different. There is no right or wrong. Shubman is someone who does not talk or have as many conversations as Hardik Pandya,” Nehra mentioned.
“He is very much to the point. He is also a keen learner. Actually, I would rather say he is a keen observer. He learns from others as well, and he is only going to get better. He is still a work in progress. He is only 26 or 27, and it’s not as if he has been captain for many years. It has only been one or two seasons. You learn things as you go, and you get better.” he added.
How Pandya and Gill differ in their leadership approach
Nehra asserted that Hardik had full faith in his coaching philosophy but didn’t refrain from asking questions when things didn’t go the way of the Titans.
“Hardik is an amazing character. One thing is for sure: he completely trusted me, which was perfect. He is always keen to learn. If something doesn’t go right or doesn’t go well, he will ask questions. He is someone you can have a lot of conversations with,” Nehra said.
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Both captains entered their roles with limited prior captaincy experience, according to Nehra’s assessment. Gill’s captaincy experience spans only one or two seasons, and at 26 or 27 years old, he is now captaining India in two formats alongside his IPL responsibilities. Pandya has accumulated 37 wins and 33 defeats as a captain in the IPL across his tenure with Gujarat Titans.
