Should India back with Rahul Chahar in T20 WC instead of Yuzvendra Chahal?
The world of sports is a cruel one. No matter what a player has done in the past and for how long, if performances decline and consistency fade, a spot in the team is not guaranteed. In an extremely competitive sport like cricket, the above theory applies even more seriously. Having established his name through the IPL, Yuzvendra Chahal has been India’s go-to spinner in the last few years.
Decline of Yuzvendra Chahal
Although the last few months have not been as fruitful for the leg-spinner, who is known for his wicket-taking abilities. While RCB’s form in IPL 2021 was for all to see, Chahal’s poor run was a major worry for the team. He has made his name by providing crucial breakthroughs but this time he was far away from that and could take only four wickets in seven games at an economy of 8.26, while also being predictable with his variations.
With increasing competition and the T20 World Cup looming, Chahal is losing grip over his permanent spot in the Indian team as parallel to his struggle, Rahul Chahar has been making statements through his performances. With 11 wickets in seven games, he was arguably the most effective spinner in IPL 2021 and he showed the ability to bail his team out of trouble against Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad when he single-handedly took Mumbai to a win when they were entirely on the back foot.
Is Rahul Chahar the right choice?
Chahar has been known for consistency ever since age-level cricket, which earned him a national call-up. His biggest breakthrough was getting picked in the IPL by the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 when under the guidance of MS Dhoni and Steve Smith, he earned an invaluable opportunity to gain exposure.
His stocks have risen considerably ever since the Mumbai Indians found him and showed confidence in the skilful leg spinner. 2019 saw him rise the ranks steadily as he was backed by Mumbai Indians, who gave him 13 of the 16 matches they played in 2019, and with no scarcity of talent, he scalped 13 wickets in the season at an average of 23.69.
He has won his team and the captain’s confidence, and with his skill set to trouble the batsmen with clever googlies and variations, Chahar has even proved himself a success in the powerplay overs, arguably the most difficult phase of the shorter format. The previous edition of the IPL brought out the best in him as he got 15 matches and bagged as many wickets at an average of 28.86.
Under the guidance of many senior pros at the MI, he has flourished and has now become a regular part of the star-studded setup. His IPL exploits have already earned him a national call-up as he has been a part of three T20Is for the country so far. With an approaching T20 World Cup, time is indeed running out for Chahal and the selectors have shown that they will not think much before dropping non-performers.
