Harbhajan Singh backs Ashish Nehra to coach the Indian team in T20Is

Former Indian veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh feels Ashish Nehra is better suited to coach the Indian team in T20I cricket than current head coach Rahul Dravid. The Turbanator believes as Nehra recently retired from the T20I format, he is in a better place to coach the national team.

In fact, the former off-spinner clarified he doesn’t want BCCI to remove Dravid as head coach from the T20I format and feels Nehra and Dravid can work together to get the best out of the players.

India was recently knocked out of the T20 World Cup after they lost in the semi-final clash against England by 10 wickets.

“In T20 format you can have someone like Ashish Nehra who recently retired from the game,” Harbhajan told PTI in Abu Dhabi, where he is a part of the Delhi Bulls line-up for the T10 league. “He [Nehra] knows this better than – with all due respect – Rahul.

“We [Dravid and he] have played together for so many years; he has vast knowledge, but this is a tricky format. Someone who has played the game more recently is better suited for the coaching job in T20s. I am not saying you remove Rahul from T20; Ashish and Rahul can work together to build this team for the 2024 World Cup.”

Harbhajan feels the concept of split coaching can do wonders for the team. Dravid recently took a break after the T20I World Cup and VVS Laxman traveled with the team on their ongoing tour of New Zealand.

“With such an arrangement [split coaching], it is easy for Rahul as well, who can take a break as well like he did for the New Zealand tour and Ashish can do the job in his absence,” Harbhajan said.

Meanwhile, India was timid in the PowerPlay overs in the T20 World Cup and it led to their downfall in the all-important semifinal against England. India had scored their runs at a run rate of six in the T20I showpiece in the first six overs, which was well below par.

“The approach has to change in the T20 format,” Harbhajan said. “The first six overs are important. If that doesn’t happen, you will be dependent on Hardik [Pandya] or Surya [Suryakumar Yadav] for scoring 50 off 20. If they don’t fire, you will end up with a below-par total.

“England changed their approach and they have won two World Cups [including the 2019 ODI World Cup]. T20 has to be played like T20 not like ODIs.”

India will take on New Zealand in the first ODI at Eden Park, Auckland on Friday.