Ashish Nehra has come out firmly in support of Shubman Gill, warning against instant reactions and “two‑match” judgments in T20Is. He also gave an interesting update on how Gujarat Titans see Washington Sundar and their plans for the IPL 2026 auction.

Nehra’s strong defence of Shubman Gill

Nehra made it clear he is not at all worried about Shubman Gill’s form, even though the opener has scored only 181 runs in his last 10 T20Is at a strike rate below 140. He said that even if the IPL was “three weeks away, not three months,” he still wouldn’t be concerned because T20 is a volatile format and two bad games mean nothing for a player of Gill’s class.

He said the real problem is the habit of judging players purely on numbers over very small samples. According to Nehra, if people start writing off someone like Gill after just two or three failures, then “we have a problem”. He reminded everyone that tournaments move fast, and constant calls for change after every couple of games will only make things harder for teams and players.

Sarcastic reply to critics and “too many options” talk

In his typical dry style, Nehra also took a dig at critics who keep demanding changes. He said if people really want to, they can keep swapping openers forever – remove Abhishek Sharma and Gill and bring in Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad, then remove them too and open with Washington Sundar and Ishan Kishan. His point was simple: if you chase instant results and keep chopping and changing after one or two matches, no player will feel secure and no team will settle.

For Nehra, Gill remains a top‑order anchor and leader for Gujarat Titans. He has seen Shubman closely over two IPL seasons and trusts his technique, temperament, and ability to adapt. One short dip does not change that.

Washington Sundar: “For me, he’s a batter first”

Nehra also spoke in detail about Washington Sundar, who played only six games for Titans last season because of combinations. He cleared the confusion around Washi’s role, saying that for him, Washington is “first a batsman” who can bat anywhere from No. 1 to No. 6 or even 7. On helpful pitches, his off‑spin then makes him a complete package.

He pointed out that Washington has already shown he can bowl in the powerplay with the new ball and that his best is yet to come. At 25–26, with years already spent in the system, Nehra feels the “sky is the limit” and expects Sundar to keep improving. He also hinted that if Washi stays fit, Titans will use him much more in the next IPL season.

GT’s auction position and likely XI structure

On the mini‑auction in Abu Dhabi on December 16, Nehra said teams like KKR and CSK have huge purses and big rebuilds ahead, but Gujarat Titans are in a “comfortable position”. GT have only about ₹12.9 crore left and need just five players, having released only four or five from their squad.

Nehra said their core is already settled. When everyone is fit, he listed 10 near‑certain names:

• Jos Buttler

• Shubman Gill

• Sai Sudharsan

• Rahul Tewatia

• Shahrukh Khan

• Rashid Khan

• R Sai Kishore

• Kagiso Rabada

• Prasidh Krishna

• Mohammed Siraj

The remaining slot can be used flexibly. Glenn Phillips, retained instead of Sherfane Rutherford, can be used as a big‑hitting overseas all‑rounder. Washington Sundar is the Indian option for that role, giving them extra batting and spin. With this base, Nehra said Titans will go into the auction with an open mind, picking whatever value they can find rather than chasing big headlines.