Ashish Nehra, one of the finest left-arm pacers to have represented India, is in the final lap of his international career.
Nehra is one of the senior-most Indian players, still playing international cricket. He has played under several captains including Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir and now Virat Kohli, but if reports are to be believed, the present India captain will be his last ever skipper.
The Delhi pacer's 18-year cricket journey might be coming to an end. As per a report in "Bangalore Mirror", Nehra could call it a day during the India-New Zealand series, which will take place between October and November.
The report further states that the pacer may play his final match on his home ground, Feroz Shah Koltla, where India will take on New Zealand in the first T20I on November 1.
Though Nehra's inclusion in the India squad for the Australia T20I series might have surprised many, few would be taken aback if the pacer hangs his boots in 2017.
If Nehra is mulling on the idea of retirement, it makes sense as well. The left-arm pacer is 38-years-old and there is a strong group of pacers in the Indian team. Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav are the four key pacers in the Indian team presently, and the quartet is primed to be a major force in the 2019 World Cup.
Considering India are building a core group of young players for the mega event, his retirement will also pave way for selectors to look for other youngsters in the domestic circuit too.
Irrespective of when he decides to retire from cricket, Nehra will always be remembered as one of the finest exponents of swing bowling.
Nehra has played 163 international matches for India, taking 235 wickets. He could have played many more matches had injuries not plagued him. He was a part of India's 2011 World Cup winning squad.
