Ashish Nehra had first played for India in a Test against Sri Lanka back in 1999. A little over 18 years later, the left-arm pacer is set to call time on his career and will bow out.
Ironically, Nehra will make his final appearance in a T20 International. The format had not even taken shape at the competitive level when he started playing for India. The first ever T20 International match was played in February 2005, a full six years after his Test debut.
It was not before 2009 that Nehra was actually introduced to the shortest format for India. But he delivered like always and he now happens to be India's third highest wicket-taker in T20Is behind R Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah with 34 wickets from 26 matches.
He was successful in one-day cricket too with a tally of 157 wickets in 120 matches. Nehra's most iconic moment on the field for India came during the 2003 World Cup against England when his 6/23 helped India to a comprehensive win.
Nehra played a stellar role for India eight years later in the 2011 World Cup semi-final, picking up 2/33 against Pakistan. Incidentally, that happens to be his final one-day international.
He was brought back into the team during India's T20 leg on their tour of Australia and the Delhi pace ace made an immediate impact. However, after years of toil, Nehraji, as his teammates fondly call him, will hang up his boots.
Nehra will make his final appearance as a professional cricketer in front of his home crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla in the first of three T20 matches against top-ranked team New Zealand.
India have never won against New Zealand in the shortest format and Nehra would be keen to change that before he bows out.
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