Ashish Nehra guided GT to IPL 2022 title and to the final of IPL 2023.
If reports are true, Ashish Nehra, Gujarat Titans (GT) IPL winning coach, might no longer stay with the franchise. Nehra, under whom GT won the IPL in 2022 and reached the finals of IPL 2023, had formed a brilliant bond with Hardik Pandya, who led the side in the first 2 seasons.
But in IPL 2024, Hardik Pandya moved to Mumbai Indians and GT took a risk of naming Shubman Gill the new captain. However, the franchise failed to qualify for the playoffs.
It would not be shocking if CVC Capital, the present owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team, decides to overhaul its coaching staff before the blockbuster auction later this year.
According to Cricbuzz, the GT management, which includes an administrative head in the UK and certain executives in Mumbai and Singapore, is considering altering its coaching staff for the upcoming season.
Vikram Solanki is the director of cricket, Ashish Nehra is the head coach, and Gary Kirsten served as the team's mentor and batting coach for the first three years. Gary Kirsten has already left the management to join Pakistan as head coach of their white-ball team.
There are signs that Solanki may be able to weather the revamp, but the head coach position is less assured. It is speculated that Nehra may have upset several people.
The former India bowler was a noticeable presence in previous seasons, including the 2023 final, where he was observed instructing Mohit Sharma after each delivery. However, he was less frequently sighted by television cameras throughout the 2024 season, which may not be accidental.
Also, the potential sale of the Gujarat Titans franchise from CVC Capital to either Torrent Pharma or the Adani Group will have to wait till February next year. This is owing to the obligatory three-year lock-in period for franchise shares, which implies that the present CVC management will likely oversee at least one more season, most likely the December auction.
(Cricbuzz inputs)