"I feel he was just dealing with his anxiety" - Virender Sehwag on GT coach Ashish Nehra constantly talking to players
Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has formed a great bond with Gujarat Titans (GT) coach Ashish Nehra over the years. The duo previously shared the dressing room for Delhi and also for Team India.
Sehwag recently stated that Nehra constantly giving advice to the GT fielders on the boundary during their match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) was just a way of him reducing his nervousness and anxiety. However, he agreed that Nehra's talks could have put added pressure on the Gujarat players.
Speaking to Cricbuzz after RR's win over GT, here's what Virender Sehwag had to say about Ashish Nehra:
"We know Ashish Nehra from childhood and so I feel he was just dealing with his anxiety by talking to the fielders on the boundary. But what that might do is sometimes it might put pressure on the players. He said something to Shami too when he was on the boundary, and then even Shami ended up getting hit for runs in his last over."
Former Delhi all-rounder Rajat Bhatia was also present in the discussion. He weighed in on how Gujarat have put pressure on themselves in crunch moments this season, saying:
"Gujarat if you see last season, they used to win matches from losing positions. Now it's the opposite as they have lost two games that they should have won. I feel personally that the way Ashish Nehra moved around and spoke to players during the backend of the match only made them tenser."
This win would give RR belief to go all the way and win IPL 2023: Virender Sehwag
The Rajasthan Royals needed a staggering 112 runs from 48 balls after their top-order failed to get going in the chase. However, Sanju Samson (60 off 32) and Shimron Hetmyer (56* off 26) played absolute blinders and helped them win with four balls to spare.
Virender Sehwag feels that such wins will only boost their morale and make them believe that they can win from any situation. He stated:
"Such wins raise your self-confidence and definitely their morale will be boosted. With both Jaiswal and Buttler failing, they still have Hetmyer, Samson and Jurel. This win would give them the belief that they will not only go into the playoffs but all the way to the final and possibly win it too."
After three unsuccessful attempts last season, RR have finally managed to beat GT in the IPL.