Ashish Nehra appears to have weathered the potential shake-up at Gujarat Titans. Amid reports suggesting that Torrent Pharma, an Ahmedabad-based company, is set to acquire a majority and controlling stake in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, a significant overhaul in the coaching staff was anticipated. However, Nehra seems to have survived for the season.
Nehra and Solanki’s Continued Tenure
Current indications within the IPL suggest that Nehra will see out his contract, which was signed for three years following the Titans’ successful debut season. Alongside Nehra, Vikram Solanki, the director of cricket, will also continue in his role. Both had their contracts renegotiated after the team’s impressive first season, and there is speculation that they might be among the highest-paid coaching staff in the league, with salaries reportedly nearing a million dollars, or around Rs 8 crore.
Following their triumphant first season under Nehra and Solanki, the Gujarat Titans almost defended their title in the second season but were ultimately undone by CSK’s Ravindra Jadeja, who hit a six and a four off the last two balls in the final. In the most recent season, however, with skipper Hardik Pandya having moved to Mumbai Indians, the team struggled and finished eighth.
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Board’s Decision and Coaching Staff Continuity
The Titans’ board, consisting of key executives from CVC Capital—a global private equity firm—conducted a review of the team’s performance. It is believed that the board has decided to retain Nehra and Solanki for another season. This decision means that the rest of the coaching staff will also continue, including Aashish Kapoor, Mithun Manhas, Narendra Negi, and UK-based Naeem Amin (all assistant coaches), along with Sandeep Raju as the performance analyst.
The only uncertainty remains whether the franchise will seek a replacement for Gary Kirsten, who served as batting coach and mentor for the first three seasons before leaving to join Pakistan’s white-ball team.
Ownership Change Rumors
As for the rumored change in management and reports of Torrent Pharma purchasing the franchise, there has been no formal communication to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCCI must be notified of any change in the promoter group and is entitled to five percent of any financial transaction.
When contacted, Torrent officials declined to comment, while CVC Capital executives remained silent on repeated queries. For clarity, any change in ownership can only take place after five months due to a three-year lock-in period binding current owners until February 2025.
Upcoming Player Retention Rules
Meanwhile, the BCCI is expected to announce rules for player retention for the upcoming IPL season soon. The perception among franchises is that these guidelines will be revealed imminently.
Although a meeting of the IPL Governing Council—responsible for formally approving these rules—has not yet been scheduled, BCCI office-bearers have authority to make decisions that can later be ratified by the Governing Council. The matter was not discussed during a recent online meeting of BCCI’s Apex Council.
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