Former cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned Abhishek Nayar’s sacking by the BCCI. Less than a year after being appointed as an assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar became the first major casualty of the review carried out by the BCCI earlier this year to assess the Indian team’s dismal performance in Tests last year.
India were looking set to qualify for the World Test Championship final for the third time in a row. However, a humiliating 3-0 loss at home against New Zealand and the 3-1 loss in Australia denied them a spot in the WTC final.
The loss against New Zealand ended India’s 12-year unbeaten run in Tests at home. On the other hand, the defeat in Australia was India’s first series defeat against the team from Down Under since 2014-15 season. In both the series, India’s batters failed to impress and the team paid a big price for it.
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And earlier this month, the BCCI decided to part ways with Nayar. The review meeting was held shortly after India returned from Australia in January this year. The meeting was attended by head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Rohit Sharma, the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
Aakash Chopra on Abhishek Nayar’s sacking:
Aakash Chopra has shared his views on BCCI’s decision to sack Nayar as the assistant coach. The former India opener started by pointing out that captain Rohit Sharma himself praised Nayar. He further stated that Nayar cannot be held responsible for batsmen’s poor execution on the field.
“Rohit Sharma has thanked Abhishek Nayar. He (Rohit) is appreciating and acknowledging him because he would have helped him. However, the Indian team (BCCI) have removed him from the coaching staff. Although even a year isn’t over, he is already sidelined, and he is now in KKR’s dugout,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“I ask a question. I am wondering if Virat Kohli was playing deliveries outside the off-stump, or Rohit Sharma wasn’t scoring runs, or there were a few batting collapses, and they weren’t able to play spin, was it only Abhishek Nayar’s mistake?
“It cannot happen that six months ago, when they were under Rahul Dravid, with Vikram Rathour as the batting coach, everyone’s technique was fine, but suddenly, when Abhishek Nayar came, everyone’s technique became bad. We are talking about Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill,” he added.
Chopra concluded by calling the decision to sack Nayar wrong. Meanwhile, it did not take Nayar long to return to the dugout. Immediately after being sacked by the BCCI, he was roped in by the Kolkata Knight Riders. Before joining the Indian team, Nayar was a part of the KKR support staff from 2018 to 2024.
