New Delhi: Many call Ashish Nehra a mystery, but he never bothered or gave ear to it, focussed on being a workhorse and the rest took care of itself. At 38, having made an India comeback against the odds in late 30s, the Delhi speedster has allegedly decided to quit and wants to bid farewell to the game in a home tie against New Zealand on November 1.
It has been reported that in a T20I against the visiting New Zealanders, Nehra - 18 years after making his India debut on February 24, 1999 - will bid the game adieu.
If the reports are true, the veteran, who has played just 17 Tests in his injury-prone career, is lucky to get a farewell game on homeground - the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. On that note, it's intriguing that he was named in the T20I squad against Australia but not picked for the first two matches of the series. Thus, it points towards a possible retirement-at-home deal for Nehra because the squad for NZ series is yet to be announced.
At 36, when most fast bowlers mull post-retirement plans, Nehra strived to understand his body better, work out accordingly and stake claim for return to India squad. Nehra ji, as he is fondly called by his Delhi and India team-mate Virender Sehwag, managed to do that.
Interestingly, Sehwag too allegedly asked for a home game as his last match but was denied.
