With the expected mega auction going to take place in around December, the teams have started their last-minute preparations for the Indian Premier League (IPL). Few of the teams are looking forward to finding new coaches, as the reports have claimed that Gujarat Titans (GT) head coach Ashish Nehra could part ways with the franchise.
They memorably started their IPL journey, winning the title in 2022 under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, as Ashish Nehra brought a calm and composed environment to the dressing room. They lost just four out of the 16 games before lifting the title.
The same story continued during the penultimate season, when the Titans finished as the runners-up, losing the final to Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with ten victories in the 14 league encounters at a net run rate of +0.809. They slipped in the final, but the craze and development of the team were at a different level.
Ashish Nehra could leave Gujarat Titans for IPL 2025- reports
The recent season in 2024 of the league was different. Gujarat Titans finished in the eighth position, with only five wins in 14 games. They received a massive blow before the start of the season when their regular captain, Hardik Pandya, went to the Mumbai Indians and became their captain.
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At the eleventh hour, the franchise decided to appoint their young Indian opening batter, Shubman Gill, the leader of the side, and things went downhill as he felt the pressure in various situations of the game. In the first two seasons, one could see Ashish Nehra being very active during the games, as he used to discuss the planning with the bowler before calming them down in intense moments.
This wasn’t the case in 2024, as the camera could hardly find the 45-year-old near the dressing room. A few reports have claimed that he could be given more responsibility, making him the new head coach of the side, in the absence of Gary Kirsten, who has been appointed as the new head coach of Pakistan’s white-ball side.
This could be a good decision given how active the former bowler had been in the past seasons, and with this new role, he could take full charge and use the players in his way. When they needed to defend ten runs on the last two deliveries of the final of IPL 2023, Mohit Sharma was getting advice consistently from the Delhi-born, which has been the hallmark of his coaching.
What Ashish Nehra brings to the table is calmness, as one can see the ease and comfort level he brings even in crunch situations. Subman Gill will be vital for the side, both as a captain and batter. He was the highest run-getter in the 2023 season, when he smashed 890 runs in 17 innings, at an average of nearly 60 and a strike rate of around 160, celebrating four half-centuries and three centuries with a best score of 129.
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The form dropped a little, perhaps for the extra pressure of captaincy. These are the things Ashish Nehra probably will look to work on. Gill’s struggle, especially at the beginning of the event, found him finishing IPL 2024 with 426 runs in 12 innings, at an average of 38.72, and a strike rate of 147.40, with the help of two fifties and one century.
Whether there will be a mega auction for the upcoming season or not, the decision will be taken by the BCCI, while eyes will be on the future of Ashish Nehra for the upcoming season.