Ahmedabad, Mar 23 (PTI) Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill has said that the calmness in his game comes from being himself and having belief and security within his group here on Monday ahead of IPL 2026.
Gill, who was not part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning side, will return to the shortest format for Gujarat Titans — the 2022 champions and 2023 finalists — as the franchise looks to add to its solitary title.
“I’m just being myself, and the calmness comes from a sense of belief and security that I have within my group and in my own game,” Gill said during Gujarat Titans’ “Shubharambh 2026” event featuring the squad, owners and partners here.
Gujarat Titans will take on last year’s runners-up Punjab Kings in an away game on March 31 in their tournament opener.
“Staying calm in any situation gives you an eagle-eye view, you’re able to look beyond the moment, see the bigger picture, and have a much clearer, long-term vision,” Gill said, adding that calmness is also the biggest strength for the team’s head coach and former India pacer Ashish Nehra.
Gujarat Titans had lost to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator last season, and Nehra said there is no need to think differently other than focusing on winning the trophy.
“I don’t think there’s a need to think differently this season. In fact, I don’t have to think, the players do. They (players) have to think. They have to play; I’m sitting outside,” Nehra said.
“From day one, our mindset has been clear, we are not here to participate, we are here to compete and win. For a new team, it’s easy to think it might take time, but that was never our approach. This belief was shared by everyone, not just me.
“You’re talking about a captain who has been with the team from day one and has seen that journey. I don’t think we are looking to do anything different this season,” Nehra added.
Former England player and GT’s director of cricket Vikram Solanki also chipped in saying there was no need to change a lot from last year where they fell at the “final hurdle”.
“As far as this season is concerned and putting a squad together, we had a really good year last year,” Solanki said.
“We just fell at the final hurdle. We made very small changes at the last auction, it just needed a little bit of adjustment. There were five players who came in, and Matthew Hayden has joined us as well.” Talking about the team’s work ethics, Solanki said trusting their players and working hard remains paramount for them.
“The work is essentially shared among all of us, and we all try to work very, very hard. We are mindful of supporting these players as best as we can,” he said.
“We are ably led by these two gentlemen. Leadership requires a team, but it also requires a level of trust that these players have in them, as much as they have in the players,” Solanki added. PTI DDV AM AM
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