Yuzvendra Chahal, India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning spinner, has talked about how easy his job got thanks to the presence of legendary MS Dhoni behind the stumps. Chahal last played for India on August 13, 2023, against the West Indies.
Chahal made his India debut in 2016 and formed a lethal spin bowling partnership with Kuldeep Yadav that ruled the roost for a considerable period of time in white-ball cricket.
The Indian leg-spinner has now talked about how much Dhoni has contributed to their success. He also shared a memorable incident from India's 2018 tour of South Africa in which Dhoni's counsel enabled him to grab five wickets in an ODI.
According to Yuzvendra Chahal, MS Dhoni's ability to closely monitor the pitch and the batsmen from behind the stumps made things a lot easier for him and Kuldeep Yadav. He disclosed that Dhoni frequently counseled them to continue bowling at the stumps and have faith in their abilities.
Chahal added that the two spinners were better able to comprehend what was going on in a game and how to take wickets thanks to Dhoni's experience. They became one of India's most successful spin combinations in white-ball cricket thanks to Dhoni's ability to observe the batter's actions and make minor adjustments to the bowling strategy.
"50% mera or Kuldeep ka kaam asaan hi ho jaata tha, kyunki ek toh wo pichhe se dekh rahe ki wicket kaise chal raha hai with experience, pichhe se bol rahe ki stump pe hi rakhna zyada karne ki zarurat nahi hai, waise hi out ho jaate the batters. (MS Dhoni made things almost 50% easier for Kuldeep and me. With his experience, he could read the pitch from behind the stumps and guide us accordingly. He would tell us to keep bowling at the stumps and not try anything unnecessary. The batters would get out on their own if we followed that advice)," Chahal said on Aakash Chopra’s YouTube channel.
Apart from that, Yuzvendra Chahal mentioned an ODI match he played where he returned the figures of 5/22 in the second ODI played against South Africa in Centurion in February 2018. In this match, Dhoni played an important part in dismissing the South African batter, JP Duminy.
"Jab maine Centurion me 2018 me five wickets liya tha, tab JP Duminy batting kar rahe the toh unhone (Dhoni) bol diya tha ki yuzi stump pe hi rakhiyo, pace apne hisaab se change krta rahiyo, wo dusri teesri ball me sweep maarne maine ball dhire dala or wo lbw out ho gaye. Toh unka bht yogdaan wo on-field bowling coach the hamare,"
(When I took five wickets in Centurion in 2018, JP Duminy was batting. Dhoni told me to keep bowling at the stumps and keep changing my pace as needed. When Duminy tried to play the sweep shot on the second or third ball, I bowled a slower delivery, and he was dismissed LBW. Dhoni made a huge contribution to our success. He was like an on-field coach for our bowling unit) he added.
Yuzvendra Chahal also stated that the decision by Dhoni to retire made a big difference to him and Kuldeep Yadav. But Dhoni had been preparing them for such situations well in advance.
“Unhone humein mature bana diya tha ki humein pata ho kya karna hai, but haan definitely fark toh padha hi tha, but unhone mujhe or Kuldeep ko prepare kar diya tha,” Chahal concluded.
Chahal has taken 121 ODI wickets in 72 games and 96 T20I scalps in 80 matches thus far. He is the all-time leading wicket-taker in the IPL, with 233 wickets in 188 games, with a best bowling of 5/40 and two hat-tricks to his name.
