'I want them to be fierce' - GT captain Shubman Gill's message to his bowlers ahead of IPL 2026

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill has sent out a warning to the other teams, as he wants his fast bowlers to be fierce and intense on the field in the upcoming 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which kicks off on March 28.

Speaking at Shubharambh 2026, the Gujarat Titans Mega Fan event, which brought together players, fans support staff, owners and partners, Gill hilariously referenced coach Ashish Nehra, India’s former mercurial left-arm seamer, and his reactions to dropped catches and misfields on the field.

"I do not want my fast bowlers to be calm. I want them to be fierce just like Ashu Pa [Ashish Nehra] was. I'm sure you must have seen videos of how Ashu Pa acknowledged dropped catches when he was playing,” Gill said speaking at the event.

The Titans were beaten in the eliminator last season by the Mumbai Indians in a closely fought contest. The five-time champions prevailed by 20 runs. Gill further stated that despite not lifting the trophy, the season as a whole was largely a successful one for the Ahmedabad-based franchise.

"Even last year, we had a very successful season. We did not win the trophy, but that does not take away from the brand of cricket we played. We are now here to rectify the mistakes we made last season. We did fall short in some of the things," he added.

Coach Ashish Nehra later hilariously added that he does not need to do anything and it is up to the players to perform on the field.

"We would not be doing anything different. Sochna mujhe to kuch nahi hai. Inko hai, khelna inko hai, meine toh bahar baithna hai (I don't have to think about anything. They have to, they have to play, I will be sitting outside)," he said.

Gill & Co. start their campaign away to the Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium in New Chandigarh on March 31.

Gujarat Titans' squad for IPL 2026: 

Shubman Gill (captain), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Kumar Kushagra, Manav Suthar, Arshad Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Luke Wood, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Tom Banton, Jason Holder, Ashok Sharma