The notice of Ashish Nehra draws shifted feelings from Indian fans. From the enthusiastic to the irate, from the diverting to the confounded, from positive to negative. For some, Nehra is a decent left-arm swing bowler whose delicate body let him down. He was a decent entertainer who was forced to bear some fudged determination choices.
His wounds drew him a lot of feedback and made him the aim of poor jokes. Other people who saw his potential helped individuals to remember his capacity and for that one essential Durban night in the 2003 World Cup where he cleared England out with a pull of 6 for 23. For the vast majority of his playing profession, he stayed in the class of unfulfilled potential.
After he was ignored following India's triumph in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, many felt his time was up. Although he put in some strong domestic performances in 2013 and 2014, Indian cricket and its fans had moved on from the period when he and Zaheer Khan were India's prime bowlers.
When Nehra was picked out of the blue for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2014 for Rs 1.5 crore, Twitterati reacted with shock. "With all that money from #IPLauction, an injury-prone Ashish Nehra can finally buy the vehicle of his dream ambulance," one said. "As means of redemption for their past doings, #CSK is now involved in philanthropy. #Ashish Nehra," another said.
In IPL 2014, Nehra played only four games and managed eight wickets at an average of 17.76. However, he demonstrated his old touch. He fired in yorkers at the death and generated swing in conditions that did not aid the bowlers. Nehra enhanced his credentials further in the 2014 Champions League T20, he was the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 10 wickets in five games at an average of 15.5. In each of the games, his skill shone through and suddenly, Nehra version 2.0 was proving to be lethal with the ball.
His exploits were coming at a time when India's new generation of fast bowlers struggled to bowl in the death overs. India's bowling at the death was a hot topic heading into the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Some fans rumbled that Nehra, who bowled exceptionally at the death, should be called back but the rumblings never became loud.
In IPL 2015, he is now the joint highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets at an average of 12.1. His tally was boosted after he took four for 10 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He combined swing, variations in length and accuracy. Watching Nehra hit the perfect length and the right channel on almost every ball was a treat.
Chasing 182 for victory, Royal Challengers Bangalore never had momentum and Nehra's accuracy strangled them and they ended up throwing their wickets away. That he did not concede a boundary at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was truly spectacular. Yet, his performance did not earn him the Man of the Match award.
The player who won the award, Suresh Raina, credited the win to the left-arm pace bowler. "Nehra is the most experienced bowler that we have. He has an idea of when to attack and when to contain. He gives good advice to Mohit Sharma and Ishwar Pandey. He performed well for India during his time and he is doing a great job for us. Credit should be given to Nehra for setting up victory."
Soon to be 36, Nehra might not wear the India jersey again. However, with the ICC World Twenty20 2016 to be held in India, there might be one more opportunity for him to demonstrate his skills. The days ahead offer plenty of promise to his fans but the man himself has one simple desire: to express himself with his bowling skills.