Ashish Nehra: Unsung Hero For India and Now Gujarat Titans

An effective left-arm pacer in blues!

Ashish Nehra made his debut for team India in 1999 in a test match against Sri Lanka. The left-arm pacer was hugely renowned for his control over the ball to swing in both ways. In his ODI debut in 2001 against Zimbabwe, Nehra left everyone stunned with his lightning deliveries and unimaginable swingers. With the help of his bamboozling deliveries, India won their first-ever Test outside the subcontinent in 15 years. Nehra's smooth action, a perfect wrist position and a unique run-up made him different from other bowlers. The 2003 World Cup in South Africa went quite well for the left arm pacer as he made great use of the tricky and seaming wicket to clinch some early wickets. His bowling figures of 6/23 against England at Durban remain his best bowling figures. 

In 2005, Nehra was out of the squad due to injuries, and this setback affected the young pacer quite severely. He was out for a long duration, and a comeback seemed quite tricky for the pacer. However, Nehra showed that perseverance could conquer anything. With his dedication and hard work, he was signed up by the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural season of IPL. He rocked the season with the ball and thus caught the selectors' eyes. He was back in the squad for the tour against West Indies, and since then, Nehra never looked back. His consistency made him an impactful asset for team India. Nehra announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2017. Although his performance remained overshadowed, his contribution to team India is invaluable. This unsung hero for team India remains one of the best pacers the team India has ever seen. He has clinched 235 wickets in blue jersey in the 144 matches he played across all formats. 

A dark phase of his coaching career!

After retirement as a player, Nehra entered the coaching role for Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was the bowling coach for RCB in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the league. This was Nehra's first time as a coach, and many had huge expectations from the team under his coaching. However, RCB failed to perform well in the season. In the 2018 season, RCB ended up in the sixth position. The franchise was also disappointed in the following season as they finished in last place. Many even blamed Nehra for his poor coaching, while others doubted his coaching ability. Nehra was even rumoured to be involved in a conflict with team management after the team's dismal performance. Later he ended his coaching journey with the Challengers.

Head coach of Gujarat Titans: A grand comeback from the darkness!

In the 2022 edition of IPL, two new teams were introduced to increase the difficulty of the league. Gujarat Titans had a huge challenge to set up a reliable squad with no former experience as a new team. The team gave a big responsibility to Ashish Nehra by appointing him as the head coach. The decision was criticised by many as the team had World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten, but still, Nehra was made the head coach. However, with Gujarat's outstanding performance this season, few can now question this decision. As the team emerged victorious, conquering the title in their very first season, Nehra was heavily praised by everyone. The team played fantastic cricket throughout the season, helping them be one step ahead of everyone. The team won 14 out of the 16 matches they played, and their hard work paid them well. Nehra seemed calm and composed even in the pressure situations defining his great sense of cricket. Ashish Nehra's success with Gujarat is indefinable, and how he bounced back up from the failure is quite noteworthy.