Ashish Nehra better suited to coach India in T20s than Rahul Dravid: Harbhajan Singh

Nehra retired from the game in 2017 and earlier this year coached Gujarat Titans to the title on their IPL debut.

“In T20 format you can have someone like Ashish Nehra who recently retired from the game. He knows this better than, with all due respect to Rahul, we have played together for so many years, he has vast knowledge but this is a tricky format.

“Someone who has played the game more recently is better suited for the coaching job in T20s. I am not saying you remove Rahul from T20. Ashish and Rahul can work together to build this team for the 2024 World Cup,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying by PTI.

“With such an arrangement, it is easy for Rahul Dravid as well who can take a break as well like he did for the New Zealand tour and Ashish can do the job in his absence,” Harbhajan said.

Dravid and other regular support staff have been given a break from the tour of New Zealand, as VVS Laxman is coaching the side during the white ball series consisting of three T20Is and as many ODIs.

India had won the rain-affected T20I series 1-0, and will be eager to replicate the series-winning effort in the ODIs as well.

India were led by Hardik Pandya in the T20I series while Shikhar Dhawan is leading the side in the ODI leg.

There have been growing clamour for India to find a squad exclusively for T20s in the footstep of England and even a different captain and coach. Hardik Pandya has been tipped to take over Rohit Sharma as the T20 skipper in the near future, and Harbhajan has endorsed that view too.

The former India spinner said there is no real harm in having different teams and leaders for the three formats of cricket.