Bangalore: Ashish Nehra, the seasoned left-arm quick who is recovering from two surgeries in London, spoke to The Telegraph for around 45 minutes on Saturday.
Usually, Nehra does not give interviews. However, he made an exception for this newspaper and took all questions from his in-laws' Harrow on the Hill residence.
Nehra will be off crutches in a fortnight, but his bid to make another comeback at the international level is expected to take time.
For his part, the 37-year-old Nehra is looking at being available for India selection in October.
Excerpts...
Q With the Sunrisers Hyderabad making their maiden IPL final, your wish from faraway London has been fulfilled...
A ( Laughs) I was hoping the Sunrisers would get there. The franchise doesn't keep too high a profile but the work gets done. At the end of the day, that is what you want.
What, perhaps, makes the difference for the Sunrisers?
It's a happy environment. Even if the franchise loses three-four matches in a row, nobody points fingers... Then, there are good players and good men around us. Mentors (Vangipurappu Venkata Sai) Laxman and Muttiah Muralidharan have themselves been big achievers... Like the mentors, coach Tom Moody is very knowledgeable. The environment in and around the dressing room is important... Having now played for five IPL franchises, I can surely vouch for that.
You had to leave the Sunrisers early, for the surgeries, but how was your experience of playing under David Warner?
Warner gave me the freedom I needed as the lead bowler... He could look somewhat laid-back, like the rest in the support staff, but does the job with aplomb.
Some words on Mustafizur Rahman, who is quite exceptional with the ball...
Mustafizur's very good in ODIs and in T20 cricket... He's got a good slower one and an effective yorker... He's only 20 and, so, is evolving as a fast bowler. He's still maturing and would also become a quality bowler at the Test level. He's inexperienced in the longest format. I understand he's headed to Sussex, which would be a good move... In this trade, one never stops learning. In fact, at 37, I could pick up certain skills from others.
What makes the biggest difference in T20?
Fewer mistakes as the margin for error is so much smaller. In the other formats, one individual alone usually won't help a team win. In T20, though, it's possible. Individuals can help a team win... It could be through two overs of aggressive batting or two overs of smart bowling... To talk specifically of the IPL, franchises which do well have a good bunch of domestic players. I saw that at the Chennai Super Kings and I've seen it again with the Sunrisers. Even the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have started to improve after investing in quality players from within India. After all, seven of the 11 players have to be from India. Always... Seedhi si baat hai.
Getting back to Sunday's final... You'd be hoping that the Sunrisers win, but is this year's IPL trophy destined to go to RCB?
If there's one format where there's so much uncertainty, it is T20... So, one can't say anything... Two-three weeks ago most people were saying that RCB will not make the play-offs, yet they became the first finalist... It's significant that the final is in their home city.
What should the Sunrisers be focusing on?
The Sunrisers have a good bowling unit and it would have to deliver. The Chinnaswamy is one wicket where even 180/190 could be bettered... Given the kind of surface there, we'd do really well if Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) settle down quickly. The wicket should suit them. Generally, the matches there see high scores... I'd been hoping that the Sunrisers make the final, now I hope they win... Fingers crossed.
Virat Kohli, the RCB (and India's Test) captain has been awesome, leading from the front more often than not... In 2003-04, you'd given him an award, later you played with him. Your thoughts on his run in this IPL?
Main kya boloon ? Today, whatever you say about Virat won't be enough. He's made that kind of an impact.
[In the ongoing edition, Virat has roared his way to 919 runs at an average of 83.54. His strike-rate is a handsome 151.90.]
What, in your view, sets Virat apart from the rest?
Virat's hunger to succeed in every match is incredible. Having raised the bar, he doesn't settle for little. That's a strong quality to have... Virat wants the same success in every format... That he's exceptionally fit is a plus... Ajinkya Rahane, too, trains incredibly hard... He's so focused.
When do you think Virat went towards the next level?
I'd say 2012, in the latter stages of the Test series in Australia. Usually, one moment acts as a trigger... That's when you have to make a big call and work towards one goal. I feel Virat reached that stage four years ago and he hasn't looked back since... He required stitches in Calcutta not too long ago, but that didn't stop him from taking the field in RCB's next match. Indeed, he scored 113. That's hunger, that's possessing a very high degree of competitiveness. Then, as they say, fortune favours the brave. Virat won't be found short on that count.
To talk of your injury on May 15, which forced two surgeries on Tuesday... Did almost non-stop cricket play a big part?
As I've already explained to you (reported in Saturday's edition), surgery on the right knee had in any case been planned for June 7. The snapped tendon behind the same knee is what complicated matters... If you look at the past six months or so, Jasprit Bumrah and I have probably bowled the maximum... For India alone, we bowled non-stop from the latter half of January till the World T20 semi-final on March 31... Then, within days, came the IPL... Before the tendon snapped in Mohali, I'd played four matches in seven days... There's always a tough week for one franchise in the IPL and it happened to be the Sunrisers turn this time, between May 6-12.
After such a remarkable India comeback this season, destiny dealt a cruel blow... You are, after all, 37...
Fate is not in my hands and injuries could happen to any one. That's the way of life for a sportsman... It would have been nice had I continued for the entire IPL, but what to do? My playing would also have helped the Sunrisers... One problem in India is that people notice you only in the India colours or when you do well in the IPL, not otherwise. When I made my last comeback, in Australia, people asked where I'd been after the 2011 World Cup... But I'd been around in India, playing domestic cricket and turning out in the IPL... I was doing the same things, I was having very productive IPLs. It's about people's perception and their willingness or otherwise to notice those not playing for India.
You were overlooked for close to five years after the injury in the 2011 World Cup semi-final against Pakistan... The treatment meted out must have hurt...
What has gone can never come back... Woh din to wapas nahin aayenge ... I'm not a bitter person, but the reasons for being kept out couldn't only have been related to cricket... I'd train in the heat of Delhi, away from the cameras... Perform for the teams I played for... I didn't lose confidence and knew I was good enough to again sit in the Team India bus... That opportunity came in January.
A while ago, you mentioned Bumrah. Is he ready for Tests?
Of course... Bumrah is used to bowling many overs for Gujarat (in the Ranji Trophy) and should be able to take the workload of Test cricket... He's played only one ODI, but has shown his worth in the newest format. Bumrah works hard.
In India, is too much made of one's age?
Age shouldn't come into the equation as long as the sportsman is fit and has that hunger to compete... I don't understand why people have been calling for (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni's retirement for the past two years... I don't wish to get into the captaincy bit, don't want to talk about what he brings to the table as captain or doesn't bring to the table as captain, but there's no one better than Dhoni in the ODIs and T2OIs when it comes to the two roles - 'keeper and batsman. There's nobody even close to him... Bhai , let him decide on his career, he's only 34. Nobody else has the right to do so... I've known Dhoni for years and if he feels that his time is up, he'll go on his own... Same with me. Playing for India remains my biggest motivation. If that goes, you won't find me around.
Finally... What of your future, for you'll be off even training for a couple of months at least?
( Pauses) I'm an optimistic guy and I'd like to again play for India. Those are my plans, but I don't know what fate has in store for me. Certain things are in our control, some things aren't... I've probably had 10-11 surgeries, lost count really, but I'm not thinking of quitting.
