A seasoned player disguises himself as the team jester, radiating youthful energy despite being 32 years old. He is a skilled spinner, adept at imparting spin on the ball, albeit with a preference for one direction over the other, showcasing the painstakingly honed artistry of his craft. Despite his modest stature, standing at just 5 feet and 6 inches, he looms large in his profession.
Yuzvendra Chahal is not your ordinary spinner; his true brilliance requires careful observation to be fully appreciated.
On a day when Yashasvi Jaiswal achieved the fastest fifty in the IPL, Chahal emerged as the tournament's leading wicket-taker. Amidst Jaiswal's flurry of boundaries and sixes, it went unnoticed that Chahal delivered only one poor ball throughout the evening. The remaining 23 balls resulted in wickets, deceptive deliveries, or forced compromises from the batsmen. His average bowling speed for the night was 85 km/h. He conceded only one of the two boundaries was due to a well-executed shot. The solitary six struck against him was a calculated move that didn't quite go as planned.
Venkatesh Iyer, the batsman who smashed that impressive six against him, can testify to the challenging nature of facing Chahal that night. The pitch at Eden Gardens offered some assistance, albeit not for any other spinners in the game, not even the crafty Ravichandran Ashwin or the in-form Varun Chakaravarthy. Chahal dominated the proceedings, skillfully employing leg breaks against right-handers and top spinners against left-handers, occasionally surprising with a well-disguised googly, reaffirming its potency.
Interestingly, Chahal didn't heavily rely on his googlies that night, much like he has throughout his career. Let's take the example of Nitish Rana's dismissal. While most spinners might have chosen a googly or top spinner, Chahal opted for a leg break aimed at the stumps, which forced Rana to play against the spin and target the more extended boundary. Unfortunately, Rana couldn't clear it.
Venkatesh's six-over long-off was more a result of his long reach rather than mastery over Chahal. He struggled against Chahal's deceptive drift. Understandably, Venkatesh wanted to replicate his previous off-side scoring shots, including a boundary and aimed for a more prominent shot this time. Consequently, he charged down the track, only to be deceived by Chahal's significantly slower delivery, which drifted away from him, clocking at a mere 80.6 km/h. In perspective, Chakaravarthy's slowest delivery in the game was measured at 89 km/h, while Ashwin's was 88.2 km/h.
Chahal showed a pattern in his next delivery, expecting the batsman to make a move. However, he bowled it slower at 75.4 km/h, hoping for a similar outcome. Being aware of the length and pace, Venkatesh was prepared for it. Interestingly, that was the only ball from Chahal throughout the night that was easy to hit.
Regarding Shardul Thakur, Chahal didn't have to make much effort. A well-executed full leg break did the trick. It was also his fastest delivery of the night, which evaded the sweep and struck the pad right in front of the wickets. Sometimes, there's no need for fancy techniques when the regular ones get the job done.
Rinku Singh's performance at Eden Gardens felt like a slow progression, especially during this remarkable season for him as a batter. Prior to getting dismissed, he faced two dot balls, which have been a common occurrence for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) throughout the season. After attempting a switch hit and cutting a ball straight to the fielder, the option of hitting boundaries directly wasn't ruled out for Rinku. He tried to do that but struggled to connect properly with the ball. Unfortunately, Chahal managed to deceive the left-hander again, capitalising on a breezy evening in Kolkata.
Chahal's bowling potential could have resulted in more wickets if he had more opportunities to bowl. It was one of those nights for him where his skillset came into play. However, what made this occasion stand out was the impressive haul of wickets he claimed, solidifying his status as an experienced player. The seamless integration of these events into the overall atmosphere of the match kept a low profile, making it even more intriguing for spectators. Therefore, it's worth paying close attention when Yuzvendra Chahal steps onto the pitch for his next bowling stint.
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