Did Nehra’s football-style coaching of guiding players from the boundary line cost GT the IPL title?

Gujarat Titans had one hand on the IPL trophy with Chennai Super Kings needing 10 runs off the last two balls, when Jayant Yadav ran onto the field towards Mohit Sharma with a drink in hand. Defending 13 runs in the final over, the pacer had done an exceptional job till then. However, Mohit, who had nailed four perfect yorkers on the first four balls, missed his mark after the break and Titans were left heartbroken.
Head coach Ashish Nehra was seen giving instructions to Jayant, who conveyed them to Mohit, but it seemed to have just the opposite effect. There was a break in the play for a brief period. On air, Kevin Pieterson questioned the tactic and said, “Is this disrupting momentum, Bish (Ian Bishop)? Disrupting momentum for Mohit Sharma having somebody onto the field? Should he not just be in his own zone to execute his skill?”
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, speaking on Star Sports, too was of the same opinion. “He (Mohit) had bowled the first 3-4 deliveries absolutely brilliantly. Then, for some strange reason, some water was sent to him. In the middle of the over, some drink was sent to him. Then, Hardik Pandya came and spoke with him. You know when a bowler is in that rhythm and he is mentally also there, nobody should have said anything to him. Going to him, talking to him – I do not think that was the right thing to do because suddenly, he was looking here and there. Till then, he was focused and I do not think what they did was the right idea. Because after that, he went for runs.”
On the fifth ball of the over, Ravindra Jadeja smacked Mohit for a six down the ground and all of a sudden, the pressure shifted onto the bowler. He bowled a low full-toss on leg-stump next which the left-hander flicked for a boundary to clinch CSK’s fifth title.
This was not the first time Nehra tried to influence matters on the field from the boundary line. Throughout this season, he has kept suggesting field changes to the captain, chatted with bowlers near the boundary line and had animated conversations with batsmen.
Ahmedabad: Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra rides a bike, during a practice session ahead of the IPL match between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Thursday, May 25, 2023. (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil)(PTI05_25_2023_000221A)
Nehra’s football-style coaching
Nehra was the head coach when Gujarat Titans won the title in 2022 in their first season itself. But he didn’t describe himself as an all-knowing coach.
“I am not a super coach. An ordinary person. I sit outside the field and watch the game like a spectator. People say all these things when the team wins. Every coach works hard and gets results in matches,” he had said in an interview about lifting the trophy last year.
The former India seamer does have his own unique style. Unlike the other coaches who took their teams to the play-offs this season – Stephen Fleming, Mark Boucher and Andy Flower – who are restricted to their dugouts and do not try to influence captains’ decisions during the game, Nehra has always been a hands-on coach.
“He is like a soccer coach. Walking up and down the thing. And I’m like, this is new, this is new coaching. This is innovation. This is how T20 coaching should be,” Delhi Capitals skipper David Warner had said on Breakfast with Champions.

Even in his stint at Royal Challengers Bangalore as bowling coach, Nehra was constantly involved with bowling changes and field- placement decisions. He even convinced then RCB skipper Virat Kohli to bowl left-arm spinner Pawan Negi in the 19th over against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede stadium, against two right-handers in Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard.
That move backfired spectacularly as the 22 required from two overs were scored in that single over. RCB had overs left from seamers Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini at that stage. Nehra was trolled on social media and faced much criticism at the time. His poor record at RCB was also one of the reasons why many were surprised when he was appointed as Titans coach.
His former India and Delhi teammate Virender Sehwag has said Nehra is never short of words.

“Nehra used to give some advice to cricketers all the time. This creates pressure on them to perform at their best. After correcting every ball, is there any chance to make makes?” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
However, Nehra has had success with the Titans with this style, lifting the trophy last season and losing narrowly in the final this year. But it must be emphasised that the GT outfit is much more rounded and experienced than the RCB side he once guided. Post the IPL final, one will have to wait and watch if it is a lesson to learn for Nehra or if his football-style coaching is the way to go in the future.