Veteran India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal‘s potential role in T20Is appeared uncertain as he gave away 51 runs against West Indies in the fifth T20I in Florida. India suffered an eight-wicket defeat, leading to a 3-2 series loss, and it seemed like his future opportunities might be limited.
While managing to secure five wickets during the T20Is, his economy rate of 9.06 was among the highest. In nearly every match, he struggled to replicate his previous success in either taking wickets or maintaining a tight run rate as he had done in the past.
The challenges persisted consistently in 2023. This marked the sixth occasion when he conceded 50 runs or more in a T20 inning, encompassing both IPL and domestic cricket matches. There were no instances of this occurring in 2021 and 2022, but it has already taken place twice in 2023. This performance also ranks as his third-worst display in the shortest format, tied with a previous instance.
Let’s have a look at his three costliest spells:
#3 51 runs vs Australia, 2020
Before Sunday’s match, Chahal had conceded 51 runs on two prior occasions. The first instance was during the IPL in 2015, and the second occurred against Australia in Sydney in 2020. The latter game took place as the second T20I in a series of three matches, just weeks before the emergence of the COVID-19 virus and the well-known Border Gavaskar Trophy.
On that occasion, at the Sydney Cricket Ground with a batting-friendly pitch, he first faced the challenge posed by Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell skillfully played a couple of elegant shots over the covers and square leg. In his subsequent two overs, Chahal’s length was slightly off, allowing both Steve Smith and Moises Henriques to comfortably send the ball over the boundary across various parts of the ground.
Smith’s attempts included a few shots that were not perfectly timed, yet none of them were caught until Chahal’s penultimate delivery of the match. It was during this ball that Hardik Pandya managed to secure a skillful catch at long-off after a juggling effort.
#2 52 runs vs Sri Lanka in 2017
During the second T20I of a typical India-Sri Lanka series, hosted by India, notable events occurred. Rohit Sharma scored a joint-fastest century in 35 balls, MS Dhoni batted at number three, and India achieved their best T20I score of 261 runs in the first innings.
Chahal took the ball in the 10th over during the second innings, at a point when Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Kusal Perera were aggressively dominating. In the span of three overs, they struck four sixes and two fours off his bowling. However, Chahal managed to dismiss Tharanga in the third over and then took three additional wickets during a cost-effective final over, concluding Sri Lanka’s innings.
#1 64 runs vs South Africa in 2018
The leg-spinner’s most subpar display occurred during a match against South Africa in 2018 at Centurion. India had set a target of 189 on a relatively even pitch with some bounce, and Heinrich Klaasen once again showcased his proficiency against spin, accompanied closely by JP Duminy.
In his initial three overs, Klassen struck four sixes and a four off Chahal, while Duminy added another six. In Chahal’s final over, Farhaan Behardien managed to hit a six, pushing his figures beyond 60. On that day, the leg-spinner appeared entirely unsettled, finding it challenging to maintain control or instill confidence in his deliveries. His figures of 0/64, both at the time and currently, stand as the highest-costing performance by an Indian bowler in T20Is.
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