Yuzvendra Chahal, India’s top wicket-taker in T20Is, eyes a comeback to international cricket after an impressive performance in county cricket.
India is set to tour England for five Test matches in June and July next year. The highest wicket-taker for India in T20 internationals, Yuzvendra Chahal, was eager to prove himself before this series. Despite being chosen for the previous T20 World Cup teams, Chahal hasn’t featured in any of the games. This raised a few eyebrows, especially with his over 150-game experience in white-ball games.
Chahal has been very assiduous in his career so far. He took 18 wickets during the just-concluded IPL for the Rajasthan Royals. This almost rules out the argument that he may not be included in the T20 World Cup squad as a backup for Kuldeep Yadav. Other notable bowlers, including Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy, may also not have been too far behind.
Preparation for the Challenge
The 34-year-old spinner is not just thinking of his return to T20I but, rather, also vows to stake a claim for a position in the Test side when England come visiting. Having enjoyed an eventful stint with Northamptonshire in county cricket, hauling in 24 wickets in just five matches, Chahal feels himself fully prepared to nail down his marks in both the red and white-ball formats.
“County cricket is tough cricket. It gave me an opportunity to showcase my skills against a very good standard of cricket. With India touring England next year, I wanted to show how good I am.” This is what Chahal said in an interview with The Times of India.
He played wonders, including three five-wicket hauls in four-day matches.
Inspiring the Next Generation
But what really irritates Yuzvendra Chahal is his real passion: he loves the affection of grooming the juniors. “I am thankful to my country coach Brindon McCullum for giving me the opportunity to play, and I look forward to working with a talented young cricketer, Krish Patel,” said Chahal. “I want to see him play internationally, and if I can help, I am always there,” he remarked.
He still has it tough with stiff competition in the national side. Especially Kuldeep Yadav in limited-overs formats and established spinners like Ashwin and Jadeja in Tests. Nevertheless, the never-take-no-for-an-answer attitude keeps him in the fray.
Interacting with the Cricketing Community
The message given out to the selection committee by Yuzvendra Chahal is clear. He wants to showcase his potential and push Indian cricket forward into its next international assignments with success. The fire still burns to play this game passionately.
Tweet:
“County cricket is tough cricket. It gave me an opportunity to showcase my skills against a very good standard of cricket. With India touring England next year, I wanted to show how good I am.” – Yuzvendra Chahal
