Ashish Nehra could not have asked for a better farewell when he played his last match of his international cricket career on Wednesday.
Nehra showed that he is having another career option football after cricket. Indian cricket team ended up in a comfortable victory over New Zealand by 53 runs that turned out to be Ashish Nehra’s last game of his international cricket career.
‘Nehra Ji’ was seen scooping the ball with his right foot before catching it and throwing it back. His neat footwork drew a huge round of applause from captain Virat Kohli and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Nehra played a stellar role for India eight years later in the 2011 World Cup semi-final, picking up 2/33 against Pakistan. Incidentally, that happens to be his final one-day international.
He was brought back into the team during India’s T20 leg on their tour of Australia. The Delhi pace ace made an immediate impact.
How’s that for footy skills from our very own Nehraji? What do you make of that @YUVSTRONG12 😉 #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/YaTeJk5d0t
— BCCI (@BCCI) 1 November 2017
In a video uploaded by BCCI, the left arm pacer is trying some outstanding football skills that left the skipper Kohli and leg-spinner Chahal completely blown away.
Virat Kohli, who himself is a big soccer buff was astonishingly smiling and applauded when Nehra guarded the ball against heading towards boundary with his feet.
Nehra made his debut in international cricket by playing a test match in 19999 against Sri Lanka in Columbo. He played 17 Tests for Indian cricket team and bagged 44 wickets at an average of 42.40.
Although, his limited-overs cricketing career was far more remarkable than Tests.
Nehra played his first ODI in 2001 and continued playing 120 ODIs. He is clinching 157 wickets at an average of 31.72 in 27 T20Is and claimed 34 wickets.