Don't prefer to be called coach, says RCB's Nehra

Newly appointed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bowling coach Ashish Nehra doesnt prefer to be addressed as a coach, as the former India paceman feels his job is more of a man-management thing.

Expressing his excitement at the new role, Nehra said the new-look RCB side looks a superior bowling unit than the past seasons while batting remains the strong point of the Virat Kohli-led franchise.

"We have a great combination this time around, be it the batsmen or the bowling unit comprising the likes of Umesh Yadav, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal. Both the young Indian spinners have done so well in the international arena recently," he said on Monday on the sidelines of the RCB joining hands with tech major HP for the upcoming IPL season 11.

"From my experience of playing in Bangalore over the years, apart from last year's IPL where it spun a bit, the pitch has always been a batting paradise. But if you bowl well you can definitely create your chances."

"Chinnaswamy is a small ground where a target of 180 might not be safe. My job is to give inputs to the likes of (Yuzvendra) Chahal and Navdeep Saini in order to ensure that they know what lines to bowl in particular situations," he added.

On being asked about his new role, the former Delhi pacer said: "Well, I don't prefer to be called coach. It will be more of a man-management thing for me. I'm quite excited as it's a new start for me. And I will also learn so many new things."

"It's a different kind of hard work. But again I'm doing something related to cricket. We need bowlers. RCB does good on the batting side, but we don't have good bowlers. So I hope whatever little experience I have, it will be beneficial (for the team)," he added.

Also present on the occasion was Neelima Burra, Country Marketing Director, HP Inc. India., who highlighted the partnership saying: "As brands, both HP and RCB stand for leadership, trust, performance, versatility and resilience and we are excited to partner with Royal Challengers Bangalore."

"We believe our association with RCB will help us strengthen our engagement with the millennials in India and bring the world of cricket and technology on a single platform," she added.

--IANS

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