Former cricketer and Gujarat Titans (GT) head coach Ashish Nehra has shared his experience of working with Team India’s star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya. He last featured in the IPL 2026 season, leading Mumbai Indians (MI), but had a disappointing campaign as the five-time champions finished ninth with four wins from 14 games as well. However, before rejoining MI ahead of the 2024 edition, Hardik Pandya led GT in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, winning the title in their maiden campaign and finishing as runners-up the following year, with Nehra as the head coach.
Speaking at the CAB Annual Awards ceremony in Kolkata on September 7, Ashish Nehra said (via RevSportz): “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.”
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“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. 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,” he added.
However, Ashish Nehra opined on Shubman Gill, describing him as a keen observer and stating that he is still a work in progress in terms of his captaincy. He further added that Gill will continue to improve with time.
“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,” Ashish Nehra concluded.
