IND vs SL 1st T20 – Yuzvendra Chahal’s Man Friday: Ahead of the Sri Lanka tour, Team India’s biggest headache was leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s form. Since 2019, he has not been at his best and his weaknesses were exposed in the England series. But the break after the IPL 2021 helped Chahal who worked with Haryana teammate Jayant Yadav to hit top gear in the Sri Lanka series keeping T20 World Cup in mind. It was his bowling figures of 1/19 in the middle overs that helped India change the game and win the match by 38 runs.
IND vs SL 1st T20: Back in form Yuzvendra Chahal reveals about his Man-Friday, ‘Worked with Jayant Yadav to improve my bowling’
“I did not need to make a lot of changes. But I had to improve on the line and bowl stump to stump. I worked with Bharat Arun Sir, Paras Mhambrey and Rahul Dravid sir and analysed the videos of my bowling to find out where I was missing in those matches. It should not have happened but during the lockdown, I practised with Jayant Yadav in my hometown and it started changing from there. The aim was to be confident as I could bowl well if I am confident,” Yuzvendra Chahal said at the post-match press conference on Sunday.
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IND vs SL 1st T20: Before leaving for Sri Lanka, Yuzvendra Chahal had endured a poor run of form for India and in the IPL. In the three T20I matches that he played against England, he returned with just three wickets, giving away runs at an economy rate of 9.91 and did not play in the ODI series. Before that in Australia, he was expensive, giving away runs at an economy rate of 8.42 in two matches where he bowled 19 overs in exchange for just one wicket.
| In T20Is | Before 2019 | After 2019 |
| Matches | 36 | 13 |
| Wickets | 52 | 11 |
| Economy | 8.1 | 8.92 |
| Average | 21.9 | 41.36 |
| Best | 6/25 | 3/25 |
| In ODIs | Before 2019 | After 2019 |
| Matches | 49 | 6 |
| Wickets | 85 | 12 |
| Economy | 5.06 | 6.22 |
| Average | 26.42 | 30.58 |
| Best | 6/42 | 3/47 |
In the IPL 2021 for Royal Challengers Bangalore, he bagged only 4 wickets in 7 matches while conceding runs at an economy rate of 8.26. With T20 World Cup in sight, Yuzvendra Chahal had to change things quickly as there were many other options in Rahul Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy amongst others.
“When I was not playing, I was working with my bowling coach Bharat Arun on where should I bowl and why I was not able to perform well. So, I worked on that. During the lockdown, I went home and bowled on single wickets and practised with my friends on where should I bowl. So, I backed myself before coming to this tour,” Yuzvendra Chahal said.
Also Read: IND vs SL 1st T20 Live: Suryakumar Yadav continues dream run of form, slams 50 against Sri Lanka
IND vs SL 1st T20: In Sri Lanka, with wickets offering little turn, Chahal made the most of it. In the ODI series, he was the top wicket-taker with 5 scalps in two matches while getting his economy rate under check at 5.10. On Sunday, he was again in form against Sri Lanka. Coming to bowl in the 7th over, Chahal bowled Dhananjaya De Silva in the very 2nd ball and his tight bowling kept runs in check in the middle overs. It was his 1/19 in 4 overs spell that helped India get the momentum back.
“We were 10-15 runs short but whatever runs we scored, we had to defend that. My job was to control the middle overs. I was very happy that I could do that. I backed myself in those overs and bowled the way I always did. My aim was to keep giving dot balls and not use my googly as it could have been hit for boundaries. If I had gone for wickets and bowled aggressively, there were chances that I could be hit,” Yuzvendra Chahal said.
His return to form will not only be helpful for India ahead of the T20 World Cup but for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2021 as well as both the tournaments will be played in the UAE where the pitches are on the slower side.
IND vs SL 1st T20: Back in form Yuzvendra Chahal reveals about his Man-Friday, ‘Worked with Jayant Yadav to improve my bowling’
