Former India player and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir has opened up on former teammate and current Gujarat Titans (GT) coach Ashish Nehra’s personality. Describing him as someone who cannot sit in one place for too long, he stated that when the former fast bowler talks, the others can only listen.
However, Nehra has been in charge of the Gujarat Titans as a coach since IPL 2022 and under his guidance, GT won the IPL in their maiden season in the IPL, with Hardik Pandya as captain as well. Moreover, Gujarat impressed last season also, finishing as runners-up. Speaking to Sportskeeda’s Match Ki Baat, Gambhir shared his thoughts on Nehra as well.
“I wasn’t a good listener, but a lot of times you are forced to hear things. It is important to make your teammate feel comfortable. Again, when you are with Ashish, only he talks and, unfortunately [smiles], you are only listening. Everyone has their own style of coaching. He is such a personality that he can’t sit at one place. Even during his playing days, he couldn’t sit at one place. You should do what comes to you naturally. You do not need to change your style by looking at someone else,” Gambhir said.
“If your personality suits you and your team, so be it. People may call you football manager or anything else. Ultimately, it is your team and your profession. It’s your decision as to how to want to get the results. There are some who are completely expressionless. Some are very passionate. Everyone has their own personality, but the good thing is that it hasn’t changed,” Gambhir again added.
While Gambhir’s KKR are placed second in the IPL 2024 points table, Nehra’s GT are in eighth place as well, with four wins from 10 matches. While talking about Nehra and his eccentric personality, Gambhir said that his presence brings something different and refreshing to the IPL.
“He brings something different in the IPL, which is always nice. You don’t want to see everyone coaching the same way or everyone behaving the same way. Sometimes it is good to have different characters as well showcasing their different skills,” Gautam Gambhir concluded.
