Dropped from the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) annual retainership list of centrally contracted players, veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal warmed for the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a four-wicket haul in DY Patil T20 tournament. Playing for Income Tax, Chahal picked up four wickets for 22 runs to bowl out Canara Bank for 109 and guide his side to a massive win by 135 runs.
For Income Tax, opener Vishant More scored 61 runs from 28 balls featuring eight fours and three sixes after his opening partner Anuj Rawat fell in the first over. Sheldon Jackson contributed with a steady 27-ball 32. Skipper Mahipal Lomror smashed five sixes in his 21-ball 49. In the slog overs, Sumit Kumar's whirlwind unbeaten 18-ball 53 took Income Tax's total to 244/5. Mohit hit five sixes and four fours in his fiery knock.
In the run chase, Canara Bank suffered a top-order collapse. They lost three wickets for just 30 runs in the fourth over. In the seventh over, Prerank Mankad departed as well. Chahal was introduced in the eighth over and conceded six runs. In his next over, he struck twice to dismiss Manoj Bhandage and Pallav Kumar Das. In the next over, Pradipta Pramanik took a wicket. In his third over, Chahal got skipper Raajoo Bhatkal stumped. In his final over, he dismissed Milind Ramesh as well. Canara Bank were bowled out for 109 in 16 overs and lost the match by a big margin.
Is Chahal’s international career over?
Chahal has not played a T20I since August 2023 and an ODI since January 2023. The 33-year-old seems to have fallen out of favour with the selectors as they have picked Ravi Bishnoi in the T20Is as the right-arm leg-spinner. On the other hand, in ODIs, they have stuck with left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav.
Chahal’s astonishing IPL numbers
Chahal is currently the leading wicket-taker in IPL. He has 187 wickets from 145 games including one five-wicket haul and six four-fers. In the previous season, he was the highest wicket-taker for Rajasthan Royals (RR) taking 21 wickets from 13 games including three four-fers.
He will be seen in action when RR start their IPL 2024 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur on March 24.
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