Gujarat Titans coach warns against dropping Shubman Gill despite flop T20I show

Shubman Gill’s comeback to India’s T20I side as vice-captain has not gone the way fans, selectors, and the team management would have expected. Shubman Gill has been impressive in the Tests and ODIs, but he has been struggling to find consistency in T20Is.

However, the Punjab lad has also been performing outstandingly in the IPL. Well, Gill was out for a golden duck in the second T20I against South Africa and scored only four runs in the first match of the ongoing five-match T20I series at home.

Shubman Gill under fire as T20I struggles continue

India lost the second T20I by 51 runs on December 11 as South Africa levelled the ongoing T20I series 1-1. Notably, in his last 14 innings, India’s Test and ODI captain has made just 263 runs, which has led to a lot of criticism and questions about his form.

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However, Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra is not worried about these numbers. The former Indian batter believes that it is unfair to judge a player in such a fast and unpredictable format after only a couple of bad matches.

Nehra pointed out that India has many opening options if needed, but he doesn’t think the Gujarat Titans captain should be dropped or doubted because of a small rough patch despite the fact that he has not hit a fifty in 16 T20I innings. He also warned against dropping Gill from the T20I team.

Ashish Nehra slams quick judgements on Shubman Gill

Ashish Nehra was quoted as saying by the Times of India: “Look, the player you are talking about. If IPL were 3 weeks away, I wouldn't be worried. Because you are talking about the T20 format. And there are only 2 matches played with South Africa. If I am not wrong. And this is our problem.”

The Gujarat Titans head coach further explained, “In such a fast-paced format, whether it is international cricket or IPL, if we start evaluating players like Shubman Gill after two or three matches, then it will be difficult. You have many options, if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.

You can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad. If you want to remove them, you can do it with Washington Sundar and Ishan Kishan. So, options are always there if there are talks about changing players after not good stats, but aise karege to bahut mushkil hogi.”

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Washington Sundar set for a bigger role in IPL 2026

Meanwhile, India and Gujarat Titans all-rounder Washington Sundar has been performing well for India in all three formats. There were rumors that the franchise might trade him, but Nehra completely denied that. The coach praised Sundar for his talent and versatility, saying he can bat anywhere in the order and contribute with the ball as well.

Nehra believes that Sundar is not yet at his full potential and will only get better with more match time. He said that the off-spinner has been in the Indian setup for years and is finally getting consistent chances to show his improvement. Last season, he didn’t play many matches because of team combinations, but Nehra expects him to take on a bigger role in the IPL 2026.

Speaking about the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, Nehra explained that the Titans already have a stable and well-balanced squad. They have released only a few players, so this year’s auction will not be about major rebuilding. With players like Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar, and Glenn Phillips forming a strong middle order, GT will go into the auction with an open mind and choose players based on availability and budget.