‘Not proud of my behaviour’: Ashish Nehra recalls match where he was caught abusing Dhoni

(Photo: Twitter/@ICC)


In a recent development, former India speedster Ashish Nehra has recalled the ODI match against Pakistan in which he was caught abusing MS Dhoni. The incident happened after an edge off Shahid Afridi’s bat went between keeper Dhoni and Rahul Dravid at first slip.

The incident happened 15 years ago in 2005 in Ahmedabad. Nehra revealed that he is not at all proud of the way he behaved on that day. In an interview with TOI, Nehra talked about the incident at length.

“I distinctly remember that match in Visakhapatnam. It was the second ODI of that series. In a video that went viral, I am seen hurling abuses at MS after an edge off Shahid Afridi’s bat goes between Dhoni and Rahul Dravid at first slip. People assume it’s from the Vizag match, but that incident is from the fourth ODI in Ahmedabad. However, I must admit I am not proud of my behaviour,” Nehra told TOI.

“I had been hit for six by Afridi off just the previous ball. There was the usual pressure of an India-Pakistan match. Suddenly, I created a chance and it was missed. I lost my cool. That wasn’t the only incident where a player has lost his cool in that manner. Both Dravid and Dhoni were fine with me after the game but that doesn’t justify my behaviour,” he added.

Nehra believes that the video is viral on the internet because it features MS Dhoni.

“The video is still popular because it has Dhoni in it. It’s like that old picture of me presenting an award to Virat Kohli when he was a kid. The picture is famous because it has Kohli in it, not because of me,” he explained.

Nehra also stated that someday he would have to give an explanation to his kids on why he behaved the way he did because they would eventually end up watching the video where he is caught abusing.

“I know someday my kids will eventually watch that video clip and I’ll have to explain why I behaved that way,” he concluded.