Shubman Gill to Gujarat Titans pacers: 'Not calm, be fierce like Nehra' in IPL 2026
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill desires his fast bowlers to exhibit the same intensity and aggression as former India pacer Ashish Nehra. Gill wants his pace attack to be fierce, drawing inspiration from Nehra's passionate on-field demeanor. This comes as the team aims to rectify mistakes from last season and contend for the IPL 2026 title.
NEW DELHI: Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill wants his fast bowlers to perform with the same intensity and aggression that former India pacer Ashish Nehra displayed during his playing days, ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Known for his fiery pace and on-field passion, Nehra never held back - often shouting, and at times even cussing, if there were misfields or dropped catches. Now the head coach of Gujarat Titans, Nehra’s old bowling clips remain a fan favourite.
His aggression and loud instructions, which kept fielders on their toes, are still widely enjoyed. In fact, one of the well-known clips shows Nehra shouting at MS Dhoni. Dhoni faced Nehra’s wrath during an ODI against arch-rivals Pakistan national cricket team in 2005.
Nehra, bowling to Shahid Afridi, induced an edge, but Dhoni failed to take the catch behind the stumps. The pacer was visibly furious and lost his temper. During an interaction with host and TV personality Mandira Bedi, Gill said he wants Nehra-like aggression from his pace attack in IPL 2026.
Gujarat Titans’ pace arsenal for the season includes Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma, Luke Wood, Prasidh Krishna, Ashok Sharma and Jason Holder. "I do not want my fast bowlers to be calm. I want them to be fierce just like Ashu Pa was.