Nehra Calls Gill a ‘Work in Progress’ While Leaving Door Open for Rohit-Kohli in 2027 World Cup

Kolkata, Sep 8: Shubman Gill continues to develop his leadership skills and has significant room for growth as a captain, according to Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra, who also declined to rule out the possibility of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli representing India at the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Speaking at the Cricket Association of Bengal’s annual awards ceremony, Nehra highlighted the differences between Gill and his predecessor as Gujarat Titans captain, Hardik Pandya. Both players assumed captaincy roles without extensive prior leadership experience, yet Nehra emphasized that Gill’s quieter demeanor should not be interpreted as disinterest in learning.

Gill stepped into the Gujarat Titans captaincy following Pandya’s exit and guided the team to the IPL final in 2025. His leadership responsibilities expanded further when he was appointed as India’s Test and ODI captain.

‘Gill is a work in progress’

Nehra suggested that Gill’s evolution as a leader will take time, especially considering his limited exposure to top-level captaincy.

“He is only going to get better,” Nehra noted, drawing comparisons with Pandya’s journey.

The former India fast bowler characterized Pandya as highly vocal and proactive in seeking guidance, whereas Gill is more reserved but equally committed to improvement.

“Shubman is a bit reserved, perhaps shy, and that’s perfectly fine. People are different, and there’s no single correct approach,” Nehra remarked.

According to Nehra, while Gill may not communicate as frequently as Pandya, his contributions are thoughtful and perceptive. “He’s someone who’s eager to learn and keen to observe,” he added.

Nehra emphasized that Gill’s youth and brief tenure in leadership roles should be considered when evaluating his progress.

“He’s just 26 or 27, and it’s not like he’s been doing this for years. It’s only been one or two seasons, and with time, he’ll continue to learn and improve,” he explained.

Nehra keeps door ajar for Rohit and Kohli

Although Gill embodies the future of Indian cricket leadership, Nehra avoided making any firm predictions regarding whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will remain part of India’s ODI strategy for the 2027 World Cup.

The upcoming 50-over World Cup, co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, will see Rohit at 40 and Kohli at 39. However, Nehra believes it’s premature to draw conclusions about their participation.

“We’ve seen across sports—not just Indian cricket—that circumstances can shift dramatically even within a couple of weeks,” he observed.

His message was clear: if the veteran batsmen sustain their performance levels, age should never be the sole criterion for exclusion.

“If they’re doing well and performing, why not include them?” he stated.

Nehra also acknowledged the unpredictable nature of selection decisions in international sport, noting that it’s challenging to make long-term projections with over a year still remaining before the 2027 tournament.

“With 13 months ahead, it’s extremely difficult to definitively say today whether Rohit or Virat will be there,” Nehra commented.

“Age is just a number,” he added, though he stopped short of offering guarantees.

‘Leading India would be an honour’

Nehra was also questioned about his interest in coaching the Indian national team in the future.

While the former India fast bowler acknowledged it would be a “great honour and privilege,” he avoided framing it as a specific goal, citing his preference for not over-planning his career.

“It would surely be a fantastic honor and a privilege, but I don’t really plan like that. We’ll see what happens down the line,” Nehra said.

Currently, he remains focused on his duties with Gujarat Titans and rejected the notion that the team’s achievements should be credited to individual players.

Nehra was instrumental in the GT program during their championship-winning debut season in 2022 and their runners-up finish in 2023 under Pandya. Following Gill’s appointment as captain, GT reached yet another final in 2025.

“Team sports shouldn’t be reduced to ‘Shubman Gill won’ or ‘Nehra won.’ It should always be ‘GT won,'” he emphasized.

Reflecting on the 2003 World Cup Final Loss

Nehra also revisited India’s 2003 ODI World Cup final defeat to Australia, which occurred at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

Despite the emotional weight of that loss, Nehra expressed no lingering regret.

“What’s done is done. It’s always a valuable lesson,” he said.

Reflecting on the experience, Nehra noted that losing finals is an inevitable aspect of professional sports, and the 2003 final wasn’t the only such moment in his career.

He drew parallels between the 2003 campaign and India’s performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where India once again fell short in the final against Australia.

“The entire tournament had gone really well. In the 2023 ODI World Cup hosted by India, our team was just as strong, right up until the final in Ahmedabad,” Nehra recalled.

He referenced the 2023 final, which India lost to Australia in Ahmedabad.

“In fact, we were dominant in ways we weren’t back in 2003, but that’s simply the nature of sport. I never dwell on the past—I keep moving forward,” he said.

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