Indian veterans targeted by IPL franchises are likely to replace Ashish Nehra as Gujarat Titans' head coach
This has been quite the buzz; alongside the mega auction, several team franchises are also looking to bring a major change in their coaching staff. The Gujarat Titans are reportedly one of the most famous franchises of the Indian Premier League since their debut in 2022.
The Gujarat Titans marked their debut alongside the Lucknow Super Giants in 2022, and the Indian World Cup-winning bowler and one of the finest cricket analysts, Ashish Nehra, was drafted in as their head coach. Gary Kirsten, who was then included as the mentor, left the franchise before IPL 2024.
In their debut season, the Gujarat Titans were led by Hardik Pandya to a successful IPL trophy triumph. Then he led them to another successful season, as they went very close to defending their title before losing to Chennai Super Kings. However, after a disappointing season in 2024, when Kirsten and Pandya left the franchise, a new owner has reportedly bought the Titans, and hence both Nehra and Director of Cricket, Vikram Solanki, are to leave the franchise.
IPL and Indian team veteran Yuvraj Singh, who was last seen playing for the Indian Legends in the World Championship of Legends, has been in talks to join an IPL franchise in the role of a new coach, and the most likely team in the hunt is the Gujarat Titans.
For the Gujarat Titans, reports suggest that Nehra?s immense glory with the franchise will now be shut, as discussions over Yuvi have already begun. But all talks will look at the IPL owners meeting with the BCCI regarding the rules, especially with the salary purses and number of retentions.
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Meanwhile, after leading India to a successful T20 World Cup title clinch, legendary Indian batter, Rahul Dravid is gearing up to make a comeback to the IPL. Dravid has played for years in the domestic league, from Challengers to Royals.
The veteran has been made many offers across T20 leagues around the world, and it seems likely that Dravid will be back as head coach of any one franchise in the IPL. With previous talks about a swap of roles, as Gautam Gambhir took charge of the Indian team after Dravid stepped down from the position of head coach, he is likely to fill in the void at the KKR camp after Gambhir stepped down from being their mentor before IPL 2025.
However, bad news for the defending champions, as recent reports suggest that if Dravid is back in the IPL, he would prefer to join his years-old franchise, the Rajasthan Royals, as they too look to replace Lankan veteran Kumara Sangakara.
