Shamik Chakrabarty, Ahmedabad
Was the Gujarat Titans team management in sync as regards the decision to send Nishant Sindhu at No. 3 in the final? On the face of it, Sindhu coming in at one-drop felt like a move to protect Jos Buttler from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Given Buttler’s pedigree and stature as a white-ball batsman, the move defied logic. Sindhu scored 20 off 18 balls before playing a Rasikh Salam delivery straight down Devdutt Padikkal’s throat at long-on, when he had 30 yards open area to manoeuvre to the left of the fielder.
At the post-match press conference, after GT lost the IPL final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by five wickets in Ahmedabad on Sunday, the franchise’s director of cricket Vikram Solanki was asked about the decision. He washed his hands of the call and passed the onus to head coach Ashish Nehra.
“We didn’t really discuss it, but Ashish makes those calls now and again, if the captain’s around, in conjunction with the captain,” said Solanki. “Nishant Sindhu, that was a bit of a judgement call. Ashish made that call to send him in at three at that time.”
To put it mildly, it was a defensive call and AB de Villiers tore into Nehra on air. “It’s defensive, and I don’t like it. Is that clear enough?” The South African great didn’t mince his words.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news
The post Nishant Sindhu — ‘Ashish makes those calls,’ says Solanki appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
