'He wasn’t the Mohammed Siraj that he is today': Sanjay Bangar heaps praise on Ashish Nehra

Sanjay Bangar believes Ashish Nehra deserves much more praise for turning Gujarat Titans into one of the best bowling teams in IPL 2026. His comments came after GT crushed Sunrisers Hyderabad by 82 runs in Ahmedabad, where Gujarat’s fast bowlers once again dominated the match.Defending 168, GT bowled SRH out for just 86, with Kagiso Rabada taking 3/28 and Jason Holder picking up 3/20. Gujarat’s pace attack has been one of the biggest reasons behind their strong campaign this season. Bangar said Nehra has a special ability to improve fast bowlers and help them regain confidence and rhythm.“I think you have to acknowledge the influence of Ashish Nehra on the bowlers that play under him. There have been multiple bowlers like Siraj, who did play under him at the start of his career in 2017-18. At that time, he wasn’t the Mohammed Siraj that he is today,” Bangar told ESPNcricinfo.He also highlighted how bowlers like Rabada, Mohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Holder have all performed strongly under Nehra’s coaching.Bangar pointed to Rabada’s comeback season as another example of Nehra’s influence. The South African pacer has already taken 21 wickets in IPL 2026 after struggling for consistency in recent years.“Somehow, he gets the best out of them,” Bangar said while explaining Nehra’s impact on bowlers.He added that Nehra strongly believes in bowling disciplined “Test-match lengths,” a strategy that has worked brilliantly for Gujarat this season. According to Bangar, Nehra’s role in GT’s success often goes unnoticed despite his major contribution behind the scenes.