"Ashish Nehra would be really proud" - Dinesh Karthik on Gujarat Titans players' form in IND vs NZ T20I series 

Dinesh Karthik believes that Gujarat Titans (GT) coach Ashish Nehra will be delighted as his players flourished in the T20I series decider between India and New Zealand on Wednesday, February 1.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik pointed out how GT players Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, and Shivam Mavi made a significant impact during the third T20I against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

He also cheekily suggested that Nehra would also be happy to see Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson leak runs, given that the franchise had traded him to Kolkata Knight Riders (KK) ahead of the IPL mini-auction. Karthik stated:

"Ashish Nehra would be really proud of them. They had a field day today, and coincidentally, it was in Ahmedabad. I don't think there could be a happier coach out there. All his boys—Sivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, and Hardik Pandya had a brilliant day. Lockie Ferguson was the only one who didn't, but they traded him, and Nehra would be happy about that as well."

Shubman Gill starred with the bat, slamming a spectacular century in the crucial encounter. The right-handed opener remained unbeaten on 126, helping India post a mammoth 234-run total in the must-win clash.

Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, contributed with both bat and ball. He picked up a four-wicket haul while also scoring 30 crucial runs with the bat. Pacer Shivam Mavi also bagged two scalps as the hosts bowled out New Zealand for 66 to win the match by 168 runs.

Notably, the Hardik Pandya-led GT side won the IPL final at the same venue last year, clinching a championship victory in their first-ever season in the cash-rich league.

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"Shubman Gill is destined for greatness" - Dinesh Karthik's prophecy for Indian opener

Dinesh Karthik further went on to say that Shubman Gill has got all the potential to be among the top batters in world cricket.

Karthik, who was Gill's captain when the latter made his IPL debut for KKR in 2018, mentioned that the young batter is very serious about his game. He noted that the 23-year-old works very hard and constantly tries to improve.

Predicting a bright future for Gill, he elaborated:

"Shubman Gill is destined for greatness. You cannot stop him from becoming big. He is already big and is going to achieve some special things in the future. The work that he puts in when he is not on TV is a lot.

"He is very, very disciplined and works really hard on his fitness. He is very aware of the technical glitches he has and is constantly trying to evolve and get better at that as well. All these things add up and mean that you're very serious about your sport."

Gill showcased tremendous form in the white-ball series against New Zealand. He was exceptional with the bat in the three-match ODI series, aggregating 360 runs, including a double hundred and a century.

While he was under the scanner for his performances in the shortest format, he silenced his critics with his scintillating knock in the third and final fixture of the T20I rubber.