Legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal might be out of the national team’s reckoning but he still remains a vital player in the Indian Premier League. Recently, Chahal opened up on his India comeback and also spoke about his bonding with Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist-spinner.
Chahal heaped praises on Kuldeep and even labeled him as the best wrist-spinner in the world. He recalled the moments when both Chahal and Kuldeep used to bowl together for India and achieved tremendous success.
Both of them wreaked havoc in the opposition batting line-ups, especially in the middle overs, when picking up wickets is not easy. At one time, Chahal and Kuldeep formed one of the most devastating bowling pairs in world cricket but it was broken in search of a new combination.
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Yuzvendra Chahal on bowling alongside Kuldeep Yadav
During an interview with Hindustan Times, Yuzvendra Chahal was asked about his experience of bowling alongside Kuldeep Yadav. Chahal revealed that both of them complemented each other well as they had a similar mindset to attack.
“I have loved bowling with Kuldeep (Yadav). We enjoy a great bonding, on and off the field. It shows. It was fun bowling with him because we have a similar approach to bowling. Both of us love to attack,” said Chahal.
“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,” the right-arm legspinner added.
The pair of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, fondly known as ‘Kul-cha’ became highly successful for India when they played together. The decision to play both of them together in a Playing XI was taken after India’s 2017 Champions Trophy debacle when they lost the final to Pakistan.
The team management and the captain Virat Kohli decided to play attacking bowling options in the form of Chahal and Kuldeep who could provide wickets in the middle overs with their variations.
Yuzvendra Chahal breaks silence on India comeback
When asked about his international comeback, Yuzvendra Chahal responded that he just wants to perform whenever given an opportunity and is not thinking about that too much. However, he remains happy for his good friend Kuldeep and lauded his performances.
“I don’t think about what is not in my hands (when asked about his international comeback). Right now, he (Kuldeep) is the No.1 wrist spinner in the world. It shows in the way he is bowling both in IPL and international cricket,” Chahal added.
While Chahal is not a part of the Indian team, Kuldeep Yadav is still a key part of India’s white-ball teams. The left-arm wrist-spinner lost his form in between but came back strongly by remodeling action and working more on his variations.
Impressive IPL numbers
Yuzvendra Chahal will be next seen in IPL 2025 where he will play for a new team Punjab Kings this year. The leg-spinner was signed for a massive amount of INR 18 crore, thus making him the most expensive spinner in the IPL history so far.
The 34-year-old is the most successful bowler in IPL so far with 205 wickets in 160 matches at an average of 22.44 and an impressive economy rate of 7.84. He is the only bowler who has taken more than 200 wickets in the IPL.