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Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar has made a bold statement after the brilliant performance of Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. Even though GT lost the trophy to RCB in Ahmedabad, Manjrekar believes that his head coach Ashish Nehra is still among the smartest minds in Indian cricket.
Gujarat Titans may have missed out on winning the trophy in IPL 2026, but their consistency under Nehra has been remarkable. Since taking over as head coach in 2022, Nehra has guided GT to a title and two IPL finals in the first season under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya.
He also made four playoff appearances in five IPL seasons under Nehra. They missed the playoffs only once during his tenure, making him one of the most successful coaches of the modern T20 era.
Sanjay Manjrekar calls Ashish Nehra a ‘street-smart’ choice for India’s coach post
Impressed by his incredible record, Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the BCCI should seriously consider Ashish Nehra for the role of India’s next white-ball head coach. Gautam Gambhir currently serves as the head coach across all formats, and is expected to remain at least until the 2027 ODI World Cup.
However, Manjrekar believes that Nehra should be considered as the next white-ball coach for the Men in Blue, despite the possibility that Gambhir will remain at the helm until the 2028 LA Olympics.
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Sanjay Manjrekar said on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast, “If India are looking for a T20 coach, this is a guy who has delivered results. He has an amazing record. Ashish Nehra is your arch street-smart cricketer. If you talk to him about cricket, he is not someone who will get too emotional; he will just be able to see the problems that his team has.”
Sanjay Manjrekar praised the coaching style of Ashish Nehra
The commentator said that Nehra’s biggest strength is his practical and straightforward understanding of the game. He also revealed that the former Indian fast bowler is someone who does not try to attract attention; Instead, he works quietly behind the scenes, and players like and trust his style.
Manjrekar further explained, “He is a very good reader of the game and is someone who doesn’t think too much outside of cricket or try to please anyone and plays these games that you have to play for a living or to keep a few people happy, and I think that’s where the players see it. You can see that he is not influenced by success as a coach. He would not like to take too much credit; he is just a simple person who can cover the tough yards with ease. Do it and like it.”
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Sanjay Manjrekar rejects role of bowling coach or consultant for Ashish Nehra
As Nehra’s reputation as a coach continues to grow rapidly, the former Indian batsman stressed that if the Gujarat Titans head coach ever joins the Indian team in the future, it should only be as a head coach and not as a bowling coach or consultant, given his impressive records.
Manjrekar signed off by saying, “I don’t think he should come as the bowling coach, because if he is a person who has been a head coach and has made his team perform so well under different captains, then if he comes, he should come as the head coach.”