Ashish Nehra deserved this kind of a farewell, says Virat Kohli

While Ashish Nehra’s career didn’t always draw out the loudest cheers from the stands or get sufficient spotlight, his farewell did shower upon him all of that on Wednesday. The 38-year-old took a grand victory lap with the full Feroz Shah Kotla chanting his name.

In the game too, he was clinical and spot on, giving away just 29 runs in four overs that included two dropped catches. Kohli, who has known Nehra for a long time now, told reporters after the game, “To have played 19 years is very hard for a fast bowler. I know how professional he's been and how hard he's worked. He deserved this kind of a farewell with the crowd cheering him.”

“He can now spend time with his family, he's got a beautiful family. We'll stay in touch but we'll miss him and I wish him all the best."

He was also shown the old picture of Nehra handing him a prize during his youth, which had gone viral on the social media. He gleefully remembered, “That was back in 2003 after he had come back from the World Cup. I was 13 then and struggling for a place in the school team.”

India rectified their only black mark against New Zealand when they defeated the Kiwis in a T20I game at the seventh attempt. And it was a highly one-sided affair with India dominating right from the start.

“Very clinical performance from the whole team. I thought the wicket was damp but Rohit and Shikhar were outstanding. And with the ball as well, we were brilliant. The bowlers bowled where they should and the fielders backed it up," Kohli said after the 53-run win.