Ashish Nehra, the lanky left armer is one of the very few cricketers who debuted in the 90s to be still playing the game. His cricketing career has been full of upheavals with injury marring him throughout and not helping him cement a place in the Indian squad. However, he was an integral part of two important World Cup campaigns for India and won the elusive trophy in 2011 under MS Dhoni.
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Speaking about his captain, Nehra said that they were the two most senior players in the limited overs side and loved mentoring the younger lot. When asked about their chances of playing the 2019 World Cup, Nehra said that both of them were looking to enjoy the present and not focus too much on the things that lay ahead.
“MS Dhoni’s cricket fitness is amazing. Me and MS are two guys from different age groups. Our job is to bring a sense of calmness, our experience in this team.”
“2019 is too far away and I can’t play that far at my age even though I never planned when I was young. Even MS Dhoni who is two years younger to me may not be thinking that far ahead,” he said in an interview.
Nehra and Dhoni both are an indispensable part of India’s limited overs side and will have to be at their best during the Champions trophy, if India are to have any chance of winning the title in England. But Nehra believes that he won’t be playing the IPL keeping the Champions Trophy in mind. He can’t be saving himself for the CT and not give his 100% in the IPL, because of the fear of injury.
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“In IPL, you cannot preserve yourself and try to bowl fast. I cannot plan about IPL keeping Champions Trophy in mind.”
“It all depends on how my body is responding. If I am fit, I might play all 14 and it might also be I can get injured before start. But I cannot think of giving 70 percent in IPL. That’s not what a professional does”
Having a career spanning 18 years and being part of so many successful tournaments, Ashish Nehra is indeed a veteran and a legend of Indian cricket, and all we can hope for is that he has a successful and an injury free IPL, which in turn helps him prepare for the Champions Trophy
