Even after being the highest wicket-taker for India in the shortest format of the game, Yuzvendra Chahal didn’t get a single chance in the recent T20 World Cup 2024. After that, he was given a break from the team’s five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe and wasn’t considered for the upcoming three-match series in Sri Lanka.
Yuzvendra Chahal has 96 T20I wickets in 79 innings, at an average of 25.09 an economy rate of just over eight, and a strike rate of 18.37. It was quite surprising to see Royal Challengers Bengaluru parting ways with the leg-spinner during the 2022 auction in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He holds the record for being the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 205 scalps in 159 innings, at an average of under 23 and a strike rate of just under 18. The economy rate of 7.84 too has been quite superb, besides celebrating six four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul.
‘Yuzvendra Chahal has been a brilliant bowler, but…’- Former Indian Spinner
The former Indian left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju looked at the omission of Yuzvendra Chahal from the white-ball squads for the Sri Lanka trip as he felt that the leg-spinner should be playing more games regularly.
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‘He (Yuzvendra Chahal) should be playing more matches again and again. You should always believe in yourself. Chahal has been a brilliant bowler.’ Venkatapathy Raju expressed this during a recent interview with IANS. ‘But unfortunately, we look more into the all-rounders. That’s why we had Jadeja, then we had Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. If Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are part of the team, you can’t keep them away from the eleven.’
During the T20 World Cup, Chahal was the fourth spinner in the team, after the two left-arm spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel and the chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav. The biggest issue for the Haryana bowler has been his lack of contribution with the bat in hand.
‘Yuzi is a brilliant bowler but he missed out as he has not played enough matches. There is nothing like getting old or anything is far away from you.’ Raju threw light. ‘You can always play good matches, come back and perform. Now the biggest headache for all the selectors is that there is so much variety now.’
‘In that variety to pick someone, it takes real guts and Chahal is a proven match winner. The only thing is little lack of match practice. Hopefully, he plays a lot of domestic cricket and comes back strong.’ The 55-year-old spinner elaborated during the discussion.
It has been almost a year since Yuzvendra Chahal was part of the Indian T20I side, where he faced West Indies at Lauderhill in 2023, The same story continued during the ODIs too, as he last featured for the blue brigade in an ODI game was towards the start of 2023 against New Zealand.
The former Andhra bowler lauded the skills of Ravi Bishnoi, besides comparing him with the Afghanistan spinner- Rashid Khan. He observed that Bishnoi would have a great opportunity to establish himself before the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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‘When you’re in form, you should be getting your chances. The spinners are very, very, very important players when it comes to white-ball cricket.’ The former national selector told. ‘We’ve seen Chahal for a long time, but unfortunately, he doesn’t find a place now. So that’s why we have Bishnoi, who fields brilliantly. Then, him being young, it gives you that extra advantage on the field also.’
He ended by saying that around the world, wrist spinners have been the real match-winners for any team in the shortest format of the game.
‘If Gambhir and all are smart, they will give him more chances. Plus, if you see all around the world, the wrist-spinners have been match-winners for any team in T20 cricket.’ Raju concluded.
The first of the three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka begins on July 27, at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.