Gujarat Titans’ head coach, Ashish Nehra, has expressed strong confidence in the leadership abilities of Shubman Gill, appointing the young opener as the captain for the upcoming IPL 2024 season. This decision comes after Hardik Pandya, who led them to victory in IPL 2022, was traded back to Mumbai Indians and now captains that side.
In a virtual press conference following the players’ auction in Dubai, Ashish Nehra highlighted Gill’s maturity, stating, “We believe in him, there’s no doubt about it, and that’s why we have made him the captain. I am not someone who will always go by results. There are so many other things too. Yes, everyone strives and looks for results. But when it comes to captaincy, you must see different things. We are very confident that Shubman Gill is the right guy.”
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While Gujarat Titans were also in contention for Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, who ultimately went to Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 24.75 crore, Nehra emphasized contentment with their choice, Spencer Johnson. Regarding the auction dynamics, he commented, “Every team will have different strategies. But good luck to KKR, and we were satisfied with the other bowler. I think we have covered all bases and are pretty much very happy.”
Addressing the acquisition of Tamil Nadu’s big-hitting all-rounder Shahrukh Khan for INR 7.4 crore, Nehra clarified that Khan is not viewed as a replacement for Pandya. Nehra pointed out, “I don’t think so you can find a replacement for someone like Hardik Pandya that easily. Shahrukh Khan is a pure batsman, and we needed one more batsman for backup. We bought Shahrukh Khan because we trusted him, we believed in him, and we have seen what he could do.”
–IANS