India will begin their limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka from July 18 and one of the big questions remains is the team’s choice of the favorite leg-spinner in the XI. With whom will India start in the series? Will they go back to the experienced but out-of-form Yuzvendra Chahal or will they allow the impressive 21-year-old Rahul Chahar to go long in the island nation?
Let’s explore.
The case for Yuzvendra Chahali
Chahal has the experience of playing 54 ODIs and 48 T20Is for India in which he has come back with 92 and 62 wickets respectively. While he has been the wicket-taker and strike bowler for India in both the formats controlling the innings from the middle overs, his numbers have seen a big drop since 2019.
Chahal was one of India’s biggest match-winners with the ball and took 50 ODI wickets in just 30 innings at an impressive economy rate of 4.88 during the two-year period 2017-2018. However, he started leaking runs and after 2019 his economy rate started increasing significantly. Although he has still managed to be one of the wickets for India, his economy rate has dramatically dropped to around 6 per over (5.96) after January 1. , 2019 and the leg-spinner didn’t have as much control as he did in the middle overs.
The contrast in their T20I numbers is all the more significant now. From his debut to the end of 2018, he was one of India’s most impact bowlers in the format and took 44 wickets in just 27 matches at a strike rate of 14.3 and an economy rate of 7.81 – thus, not only that wicket were rather restrictive in format. He was India’s playmaker with the ball in the middle overs.
Chahal – T20I bowler also completely boiled over after 2019. Since then he has taken just 18 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 41.66, a strike rate of 27.3 and an economy rate of 9.14. This is a major downfall for the leg break/googly bowler – he is neither taking big opposition wickets for India in the middle overs nor is he able to control the flow of runs.
His poor performance in international cricket since 2019 has meant that he has been in and out of the Indian XI in both ODIs and T20Is and it seems to have adversely affected his performance in the IPL as well. Chahal remained RCB’s favorite bowler during 2019 and 2020, taking 18 and 21 wickets in the middle overs at an economy rate of 7.82 and 7.08. But in 2021 his form completely deteriorated and he could take only 4 wickets in 7 matches, while also losing at the rate of 8.26 runs per over in the short season.
Considering his recent exploits in international cricket and the IPL, Chahal should not be the first-choice leg-spinner for India in Sri Lanka. The only thing that works in his favor is his experience but the 30-year-old has been given enough opportunities over the years and he has failed to deliver. Does the team management want to give Chahal one last chance, which he has done in the past? Does he think India needs a quality leg-spinner for the upcoming World T20 and one who has proved himself on the big stage?
Starting with Chahal would be a surprising and conservative move by the Indian think-tank as they already have someone in the team with the potential of Rahul Chahar – who is 21 and has been consistently showing off his prowess with the ball for Mumbai Indians. did. Two consecutive World T20s after the World Cup in India in 2023, is the ideal time to nurture and encourage the Rajasthan-born leg-spinner.
Case for Rahul Chahar
Rahul Chahar was the leading wicket-taker among spinners in IPL 2021 and took 11 wickets in 7 matches at a strike rate of 15.2. He not only took quality opposition wickets but was also very restrictive conceding just 7.21 runs per over.
Chahar has been the unsung hero for Mumbai Indians and played a major role with the ball in both 2019 and 2020 – he returned with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.55 in 2019 and 15 in UAE last year. Overall, between 2019-2021, the leg-spinner has picked up 39 wickets in 35 matches for Mumbai Indians at a strike rate of 19.69 and an economy rate of 7.37 – splendid figures for a bowler who is mostly known for one second. Support Act. Superstars in the team – The likes of Bumrah, Boult, Malinga etc.
Chahar’s good performances in domestic cricket and the IPL earned him a place in India’s T20I XI in the Caribbean in 2019. He has represented the country in three T20Is, but is yet to make his ODI debut.
Overall, Chahar has 78 T20 wickets in 64 matches at a strike rate of 17.7 and an economy rate of 7.39. Chahal has a strike rate of 19.4 and an economy rate of 7.63 in T20 cricket but he certainly has the experience of playing three times the number of matches. Same story in List A cricket – Chahar’s average and strike rate is slightly better than Chahal even in the 50-over format!
Chahar first made headlines for India in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he returned as the leading wicket-taker for Rajasthan with 20 wickets in 9 matches at a strike rate of 24.5 and an economy rate of 4.28. Took the third most wickets. Contest. He also showed his prowess in the country’s premier domestic T20 competition – the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he took 11 wickets in 8 matches at an economy rate of 7.3 in 2019-20. He was the highest wicket-taker for Rajasthan in 2021 with 11 wickets in 5 matches at a strike rate of 10.9 and an economy rate of 6.55.
During his T20 career, his two quintessential qualities of taking wickets and restricting the opposition batsmen have come to the fore – a remarkable feat for a young and budding leg-spinner.
Another reason why Chahar is a big investment for India is the vacancy of a quality leg-spinner in the Indian Test squad. The team has not had a leg-spinner since Amit Mishra in 2016 and giving Chahar a long rope in limited overs cricket will be the first step towards ensuring that India fill that void in Test cricket.
A good confidence-boosting performance in Sri Lanka and Chahar could prove to be a de facto match-winner for India in limited-overs cricket – with two World T20s and a World Cup on schedule over the next two and a half years, Chahar could be one India’s trump card with the ball.
In the end, the choice will really give a chance to pick up the experience or a talented in-form young leg-spinner to prove himself at the highest level and make it to the Indian XI – an opportunity he so fully deserves.
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