In a recent video on his YouTube channel ‘JokerKiHaveli,’ Yuzvendra Chahal, a seasoned spinner for the Indian cricket team, offered his predictions for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. When asked by Esports streamer Gulrez Khan to identify the player most likely to claim the coveted Orange Cap for the highest run-scorer, Chahal initially humorously nominated himself. However, upon reflection, he tipped either Jos Buttler or Yashasvi Jaiswal, both of whom are his teammates at Rajasthan Royals.
Chahal said: “Orange cap will go to (Yashasvi) Jaiswal or Jos Buttler. I will take the most wickets. Second, Rashid Khan.”
Chahal also ventured a guess on who might lead the bowling charts, selecting himself as the frontrunner. For the second spot, he named Rashid Khan from the Gujarat Titans. Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra, former India opener, expressed surprise at Chahal’s absence from the central contracts of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Chopra speculated that Chahal’s exclusion suggests that the selection committee is exploring alternative options for the team’s spin department.
Aakash Chopra said: “I am a bit surprised that Yuzi Chahal’s name is not there. Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shikhar Dhawan – their names not being there, I can understand. Even Deepak Hooda for that matter. But Chahal’s name not being there – what does that signify? It seems to indicate that they (BCCI) are looking in a different direction. This is a validation of the theory. He might have had a ray of hope, but it wasn’t to be. His name is not there.”
Chopra further noted that Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer found themselves omitted from the contracts due to their failure to adhere to the directive to participate in the Ranji Trophy. In contrast, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, stalwarts of Indian cricket, retained their positions at the top tier of centrally-contracted players, as expected. The BCCI’s unveiling of the centrally-contracted players for the year thus underscored a mix of anticipated retentions and surprising omissions, signaling a strategic shift in the selection committee’s approach.
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