‘We ended up having... a fight over that!’: Gill and Abhishek’s tussle over the bat

Last year, after smashing a brilliant maiden international hundred in the second T20I against Zimbabwe, Abhishek Sharma revealed that he had used the bat of his childhood friend and Under-19 teammate, Shubman Gill — something he has done regularly in the past as well.

Gill has now shared the light-hearted backstory of how Abhishek began using his bats during their U-16 days.

“It actually started back in our U-16 days. Abhishek began playing with my bat — there’s a story behind it. He was batting on 80 or 90 runs using my match bat, and I didn’t want it to break, so I asked him to return it. We ended up having a bit of a fight over that! But whenever he asked for my bat, I always gave it to him — and he scored a lot of runs with it,” he said.

Praise for Nehra

Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill on Thursday attributed the side's terrific run in the ongoing IPL to head coach Ashish Nehra’s "excellent communication" with the players, and said the former India pacer knew exactly how to build the team.

Winners of the 2022 edition — when they made their debut in the league — GT are currently on top of the points table with nine wins from 12 outings.

During an interaction with JioCinema, Gill credited the former India pacer for shaping the team's identity and empowering the bowling unit.

“I think Ashish Nehra had a clear vision when Gujarat Titans came in during the first year — he knew how he wanted to build the team and define player roles. His communication with the players, both on and off the field, has been excellent.

“There are always areas to improve, and the way he works individually with players — especially the bowlers — really stands out.”

With Gill leading from the front and Nehra’s tactical acumen steering the squad, Gujarat Titans continue to dominate IPL 2025. The camaraderie and clarity within the team reflect a blueprint for consistent success.