Gujarat Titans coach Ashish Nehra (left) and captain Hardik Pandya. (File)Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has said Ashish Nehra and Hardik Pandya should be appointed as India’s coach and captain, respectively, following India’s T20 World Cup semifinal loss against England in Adelaide on Thursday.
Harbhajan said Team India needs someone, who understands the format better and has played T20 cricket recently.
“It’s not just the captain. If you can bring someone who has just retired from T20 cricket recently, someone who understands the format,” Harbhajan told India Today.
“You know, with all due respect to Rahul Dravid, he was my colleague and we played a lot of cricket together, he has a great brain.
“But I think if you don’t want to remove Dravid from T20I as a coach then help him with someone who has recently retired. Someone like Ashish Nehra who has got a great cricketing brain. Look what he has done there at Gujarat Titans.
“It will also encourage the young guys with what Ashish will bring into the team. It could also be anyone, who just retired,” he added.
Hardik Pandya’s 63 off 33 went in vain as England rolled over India in a 10-wicket win on Thursday and set up a T20 World Cup final against Pakistan.
“For captaincy, Hardik Pandya is my choice. There is no better choice. He is the best player in the team and you need more people like him in the team,” said the former India spinner.
The combination of Nehra and Pandya had led Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in their debut season.