Gautam Gambhir's contract as India's head coach runs until the 2027 ODI World Cup, but that hasn't stopped repeated questions about his coaching methods along the way. Amid that scrutiny, former fast bowler Ashish Nehra has now made clear he isn't interested in joining the race to replace Gambhir, and he has spelled out exactly why.
The names doing the rounds
As doubts over Gambhir's coaching grew, former batter VVS Laxman's name kept surfacing as a possible successor. Laxman currently heads the BCCI's Centre of Excellence and has stepped in to coach the Indian team on occasion. Ashish Nehra's name has also been floated as a contender for the top job, though he had never publicly addressed the speculation until now.
Nehra breaks his silence
Speaking at a Bengal Cricket Association award ceremony, Nehra said coaching Team India would be a matter of pride, but admitted he currently has no such ambition. Nehra is presently the head coach of Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, a franchise that has reached the final three times under his charge and won the title once.
His wife's approval, and the divorce joke
Explaining why he doesn't want the national coaching job, Nehra pointed to family commitments as the biggest factor, noting that the role would keep a coach away from home for 8 to 9 months a year. Putting it lightly, he said, "I will first take approval from my high commission, who is my wife, otherwise she will give me a divorce." The remark underlined that a punishing travel schedule, more than anything else, is holding him back.
Why three to four years of constant travel matters
Nehra also pointed out that taking up a head coach role in international cricket today effectively means committing to at least three to four years of continuous travelling with the team. That, he said, has become the norm the job now demands, and staying away from family for that long is a genuine sacrifice. For now, that trade-off is enough to keep him out of the running, even as his name keeps coming up in the conversation. Until travel demands and family life find some balance, it appears Nehra will keep his distance from the top job.
