Not MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali crowns this icon as Indian cricket's smartest mind
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has named former India pacer and Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra as the best cricketing brain he has encountered, placing him ahead of some of the game’s most celebrated tacticians, including MS Dhoni.
Moeen, who shared the dressing room with Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings and played under several renowned captains and coaches during his career, said Nehra’s understanding of the game and ability to read every situation stood out above the rest.
The two worked together at Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2018 and 2019, when Nehra served as the franchise’s bowling coach. Moeen said those seasons gave him a close look at Nehra’s tactical acumen and man-management skills.
“For me, a cricketing brain is somebody who knows almost every situation of the game,” Moeen said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast.
“Someone who’s got an answer, or a theory, for every situation. They talk about all aspects. Why somebody is not that good, why somebody is good, what should happen in this situation, what could happen.”
Moeen said Nehra’s opinions were never based on instinct alone, but backed by evidence and experience.
“But he’s got something,” Moeen added. “And behind that something, there’s either data or evidence. It’s happened before, and this happened, and this is why this can happen.
“So the name I am going to give is Ashish Nehra. He is the coach of Gujarat. I had him at RCB for a couple of years. When it comes to cricket brain, this guy knows what he’s talking about. Knows how to get a team environment going, knows how to deal with people, players and coaches. Amazing, amazing cricket brain.”
Nehra’s coaching credentials have grown steadily since his retirement. Although his first coaching assignment with RCB did not bring immediate success, he was handed greater responsibility when Gujarat Titans entered the IPL in 2022.
The former India fast bowler guided Gujarat to the IPL title in their debut season, becoming the first Indian head coach to win the tournament. Under his leadership, the Titans have remained one of the league’s most consistent teams, missing the playoffs only once in five seasons despite rarely starting as pre-tournament favourites.
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