"I am not in the mood to travel for nine months" - Ashish Nehra opens up on reluctance to coach Team India

Former Indian pacer Ashish Nehra opened up on his reluctance to coach the side after he was among many in the fray during the hunt. While Nehra has been the Gujarat Titans (GT) coach since their inception in 2022, he felt being on the road for nine months with a young family was not feasible.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently appointed former batter Gautam Gambhir as head coach until 2027. Gambhir will take over from Rahul Dravid, who signed off by leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title.

In an interview with Sports Tak, Nehra opened up about coaching India and said:

"I never thought about it. My children are still young. Gautam Gambhir also has young children, but everyone has different ideas. That’s why I am happy where I am. I am not in the mood to travel for nine months."

Nehra helped GT win the IPL title in 2022 and followed that up with a final run in 2023. However, the side struggled with Hardik Pandya's departure and the absence of Mohammad Shami this season, missing the playoffs for the first time in Nehra's coaching tenure.

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"It is a different kind of role compared to IPL" - Ashish Nehra

Ashish Nehra admitted coaching Team India would be much different from coaching in the IPL but felt confident the newly appointed Gautam Gambhir would make massive changes.

Gambhir recently helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) win their third title in IPL 2024 in his first season as Team Mentor. He also captained the franchise to their first two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.

"The challenges are always there and it is a great opportunity also. It is a different kind of role compared to IPL. Gautam is always very passionate about the game, and has so much experience. Every coach and captain thinks differently," said Nehra in the same video.

"With Gambhir, I can confidently say with his passion, experience, he is going to make big changes, and he will do well. One thing is for sure. He will never change as a person. Have seen him all these years, he is the same. He is very up front and passionate," he added.

Gambhir played a vital role in India's triumph in the 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cups by top-scoring for them in the final.

His first assignment as Team India head coach will be the white-ball tour ( three T20Is, three ODIS) of Sri Lanka, starting on Saturday, July 27.