'It is always a chill atmosphere with Nehra' - Ishant Sharma opens up on GT head coach's guidance

Published - 17 May 2025, 22:34 IST | Updated - 17 May 2025, 23:08 IST

Former Indian pacer Ishant Sharma spoke about how Gujarat Titans (GT) head coach Ashish Nehra has been instrumental in guiding the team’s pace attack. The 2022 champions are going to take on the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

The right-arm pacer revealed that Nehra adopts a simple approach with his bowlers. He pointed out that Nehra did not attempt to change Mohammed Siraj’s bowling but instead motivated him to trust his outswinger. The coach also advised Prasidh Krishna to focus on pitching the ball fuller. Ishant added that the former left-arm pacer felt that bowling a good length delivery is more effective.

“Ashu Bhai didn’t change much in Siraj’s bowling. Ashish Nehra, being an international bowler himself, told Siraj to trust his outswinger, that’s his stock ball. With Prasidh Krishna, the advice was simple: just bring your length a little fuller, and once you’re confident with that, add one yorker in between. Ashu Bhai always told me, there’s no better ball than a length ball; a ball hitting the stumps. That’s true across formats,” said Sharma on the Star Sports Press Room.

The 36-year-old acknowledged that conversations with Nehra are mostly informal by creating a relaxed atmosphere within the team. He also mentioned there are no proper meetings to analyse the opposition and ensure the overall environment remains chill.

“We’ve known each other since my debut days—international and first-class. Our conversations are often informal—we meet in the corridor, talk over tea or coffee. There’s no structured meeting where we break down batters; it’s always a chill atmosphere. And it’s not just with me—it’s with everyone,” he added.

Meanwhile, GT are at the top of the points table with 16 and need one victory to seal a spot in the IPL 2025 playoffs. On the other hand, DC needs to win the remaining fixtures to increase the chances for the playoffs.