Many people were surprised when Yuzvendra Chahal was left out of the Indian T20 World Cup squad. Chahal has 97 wickets in 56 ODI matches, and 64 wickets in 50 T20Is. He has also played 114 matches in the IPL so far, taking 139 wickets. Despite his outstanding numbers and experience, he was left out of the team, mainly because of his IPL phase 1 performance.
Chahal’s comeback in IPL phase 2
However, as they say, comebacks outweigh setbacks. After a disappointing performance in phase 1, he came back stronger and took 14 wickets in the remaining 8 matches of phase 2 in UAE. He did that with an exceptional economy of 6.13. Chahal has been consistently performing and has played match-winning performances for both his IPL franchise and the Indian squad. His outstanding performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy drew the attention of Indian selectors, and we may see him play for India again soon.
Chahal creating havoc in Vijay Hazare Trophy
Even though Chahal was not selected for the T20 World Cup squad, he did not lose heart and went on to play the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has risen to the top of the wicket-takers list for bowlers. Chahal has taken 14 wickets in only five matches for his state side Haryana. His economy of 4.35 is far superior to the other bowlers and has wreaked havoc on the opposing batters. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Chahal took four three-wicket hauls, one each against Hyderabad, Jharkhand, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
A stalwart of Royal Challengers Bangalore
Chahal has been a backbone for the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s bowling unit. Bowling in Chinnaswamy is challenging, let alone as a spinner, but Chahal has been successfully doing it for years. In just 119 outings in the IPL, he has grabbed 139 wickets.
Chahal was released by RCB ahead of the Mega Auction. He had previously stated that he would like to retire with RCB, and his performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy have demonstrated that the Bangalore franchise might have made a major blunder in not retaining him. The franchise is anticipated to bid heavily for Chahal in the IPL Mega Auction.