The ‘Millennials’ may not have faith in his coaching, but cricket stalwarts have always believed in Ashish Nehra’s ability to read the game and tactical acumen and the former. India The pacer proved it by playing a key role in Gujarat Titans. IPL 2022 title win.
Hardik-Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) got their hands on the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy in their maiden season after beating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets in the final. Narendra Modi Ahmedabad stadium on Sunday.
If Hardik was Gujarat’s hero on the field, the Nehra-led support staff off the field was instrumental in helping GT win the IPL title.
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With the win, Nehra etched his name in the history books of the cash-rich league. The former left-arm fast bowler became the first Indian head coach to win the IPL. Notably, in all the previous 14 editions of the IPL, the title-winning team had a foreign head coach, but Nehra broke the pattern with GT this year.
The 43-year-old also became the third cricketer after Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne to win the IPL as a head coach and a player. Nehra played for Sunrisers Hyderabad when they won the IPL in 2016 under the captaincy of David Warner. Ponting was part of the Mumbai Indians team when they won their first IPL title in 2013 and was the head coach of MI when they won their second title in 2015. The great Shane Warne was both the coach and captain of the Rajasthan Royals when they won. Inaugural edition in 2008.
Entering a highly competitive league like IPL as a new team and winning the title in the very first season is a dream, but it was not easy. Looking at the final Gujarat squad after the big auction, most cricket pundits, analysts and even fans didn’t give Gujarat much of a chance to make it to the top four. Most experts believed that Gujarat was a bit thin in their batting making a good group.
There were apprehensions about Pandya’s bowling fitness as well as his captaincy skills, given that he had previously only led in senior cricket once. And remember, Nehra worked as the bowling coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore with Gary Kirsten who acted as their head coach but both were sacked after the 2019 season.
Nehra had also become a ‘meme’ material for many social media users, who might not have seen him playing and delivering for India on important occasions and saw him only as a cricket analyst.
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But, the deadly captain and head coach duo of Hardik and Nehra along with Vikram Solan (Cricket Director), Gary Kirsten (Batting Coach and Mentor) and other GT support staff broke the winning formula, putting an end to all doubts and Won the trophy with overwhelming dominance. In the entire tournament, Gujarat lost just four of the 16 matches they played, which shows their dominance and class.
“It’s a good feeling. More important than winning the trophy was the way we played and it’s great to see it. Under your leadership, the boys did very well,” Nehra said in a funny interview after winning the trophy. Said to Captain Pandya.
Meanwhile, mentor Gary Kirsten said that he enjoyed working with Nehra, rating him as one of the best strategists.
“I love working with Ashish, he is really strong tactically – it’s not easy trying to make a game plan fly together. There are a lot of changes in each game, but the responsibility I am given ‘That’s what the players took to win the game for us,'” Kirsten said.
Nehra’s success as a coach also broke many stereotypes that had been in the IPL for a long time.
In the history of IPL, it has been seen that franchises are obsessed with having a foreign head coach and they do not primarily rely on the capability of an Indian man. There were only three Indians – Sanjay Bangar (RCB), Anil Kumble (PBKS) and Ashish Nehra (GT) – who served as head coaches of their respective franchises in IPL 2022. However, the former Indian pacer found success. With GT as the head coach, the numbers may increase in the upcoming season.
Furthermore, throughout the tournament, Nehra looked relaxed and was often seen without a laptop or technology, reminding everyone that keeping things simple can help teams win matches without “over-analysing”.
In the modern cricket era, coaches and captains are often seen relying heavily on data analysis, match-ups, especially T20 cricket. There’s no denying that technology helps enhance certain aspects of the game, but too much reliance on data can complicate things as well. Basic cricketing instincts and a thorough reading of the game situation at the turning point of the game still rule cricket.
Overall, Nehra can become a role model for many coaches in terms of keeping things simple, believing in his abilities, making tactical decisions and creating a good atmosphere in the dressing room.
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