Mumbai Indians (MI) spinner Piyush Chawla has been one of the stories of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season. The veteran leg-spinner has bagged nine wickets in just six matches and is the highest wicket-taker for the five-time champions in 2023.
MI will take the field against the Gujarat Titans (GT) on Tuesday, and the spinner he will be playing against the state that he represents on the domestic circuit, i.e Gujarat. Chawla spoke about the special feeling of playing at his adopted home ground.
“I’m playing cricket for so long, so wherever I go, I feel like home ground only. I have already played for six years for Gujarat, so it is a beautiful feeling coming back here and playing. You just want to put your best on the ground,” he said.
When asked if he had done something different in the build-up to this season, Chawla said that was a believer in focusing on the basics and not doing something extravagant.
“I have not done anything different to what I have been doing for the past so many years. Just bowling in the good areas, sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t. This is what is happening. I have not worked on anything specifically. I am just coming and bowling and enjoying my cricket.”
He then delved further into his modus operandi while bowling in the T20 format. “You just want to keep the batters guessing and attack their stumps most of the time. When you bowl a leggie, it’s pitching and going away but when you bowl a wrong un, it is always on the stumps. You want to use the logic of if the batter misses, you hit.”
In spite of playing the format for so many years, Chawla said he has never felt the urge to add mystery to his repertoire because he believes in his skills. “I am not a big believer in mystery balls because what skill can give you, mystery can’t,” he said to sign off on a cheeky note.
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