Names don't matter when I bowl: Yuzvendra Chahal

Mumbai: Yuzvendra Chahal's incredible talent for taking wickets has earned him the title of the most successful IPL bowler, with an impressive record of 205 wickets. Even in T20 internationals, Chahal held the title of India's highest wicket-taker until pacer Arshdeep Singh surpassed him recently. Chahal graciously acknowledges Singh's achievement, saying in an interview, "When we were together at the (2024) T20 World Cup, I had told Arshdeep 'you are the one who will break my record'. I am very happy for him."

Despite his consistency, Chahal has never made a splash in IPL player salary charts. Often due to the vagaries of the auction. That changed in the last auction when Punjab Kings secured his services for ₹18 crore, almost three times his average IPL salary.

“I missed the first few minutes of the auction because I was very nervous. The auction is like that. You don’t know what price you will go for, which team. Lots of thoughts come to your mind. I am happy I am going to be closer home,” he says. “When I asked myself, I got a reply from inside, “Yes, I deserve this price”.”

Chahal bowls with the red ball in English County these days – he will return to Northamptonshire after IPL. He’s had his share of success with the Indian ODI team too. But T20 and IPL is where he has had the most success.

Yet, Chahal isn’t your archetypal T20 wrist-spinner, who would rely heavily on his googly. He is not overly quick in the air either. There’s no real mystery about his bowling. His variations are more subtle. Yet he finds a way to bamboozle batters with flight. “I’ve got four variations (leg-spinner, two forms of googlies, flipper). I trust them,” he says.

“The most important thing is belief. On the ground, how do you respond to match situations is what matters. That’s where you decide when to go for wickets and when to stop the runs.

“I’ve always had this belief, being mentally very strong. When you don’t believe in yourself, how will others do? Whether I am bowling the first over or the 20th, you have to think right...stay in the present.”

Kul-Cha

As his strike rate (160 matches, S/R 17.18, Econ 7.84) suggests, he opts for the aggressive option more often. Like spin twin Kuldeep Yadav. Together, they made a formidable pair for India in white-ball cricket. “I have loved bowling with Kuldeep. We enjoy a great bonding, on and off the field. It shows,” he said. “It was fun bowling with him because we have a similar approach to bowling. Both of us love to attack. It was also partnership bowling. When one of us would go for runs, the other would make it tighter from the other end. We always trusted each other.”

It’s tough to predict if Chahal, 34, has an international return in him. If ‘Kul-Cha’ will ever be a thing again. Spin bowling in T20 cricket is constantly evolving. Mystery spinners offer more unpredictability than conventional leg-spinners. India has discovered a very good one in Varun Chakravarthy. Those like Axar Patel backs up his spin with batting.

“I don’t think about what is not in my hands,” Chahal says when quizzed about prospects of an India comeback. But he is ‘happy’ for Kuldeep. “Right now, he is the No.1 wrist spinner in the world. It shows in the way he is bowling both in IPL and international cricket,” Chahal adds.

Chahal’s astuteness draws attention to the serious chess player he once was. The ability to second guess the batter; draw him out of the crease and bowl the sucker ball – the wide leg-spinner is a Chahal trademark.

What makes it all the more admirable is that he’s mostly plied his trade on the short boundaries at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for RCB. He is likely to enjoy the bigger field at the Mullanpur stadium, the home base of his new franchise.

“Ground dimensions have become a big factor because the wickets are also getting flatter, and bats bigger and powerful. But I love to take challenges. I have bowled on Chinnaswamy for eight years, so the fear of bowling on smaller grounds has gone.”

Who’s the toughest batter he’s bowled to? “Heinrich Klaasen is one, Nicolas Pooran another,” he replies. “They have so much power that sometimes even the edges go for sixes. They are the ones who are challenging. I have gone for sixes against them and done well against them too. But, when I bowl, I don’t look at the name. When you look at their reputation, it will create pressure on you. I have the ball, they have the bat. I have to win the battle.

“I am not 6’5” or very broad. Mera sab kuch mind pe hai (My mind is everything for me). I always focus on that.”

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