Ace Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal shed light on why he is not seen playing alongside Kuldeep Yadav often in the Men in Blue side and reasoned that team combination comes first. He was speaking on the eve of the second T20I between West Indies and India to be played in Guyana on August 6, 2023.
Chahal has been one of India’s most successful spinners in recent years, and his form in the IPL has been exemplary. He has also been an important member of the Indian team in limited-overs cricket but of late has failed to find a regular spot in the side.
With the Asia Cup and World Cup coming up next, Chahal is not worried about whether he will get picked or not. Chahal didn’t get to play any of the three ODIs but picked two crucial wickets in the first T20I in Trinidad, which India lost by 4 runs.
“At present, I need to perform well in the four matches. I think about one step at a time. After this series, we’ll have a camp and then the team will be announced. I am not thinking about the Asia Cup or the World Cup now. Team combination is our priority and it is not something new,” Chahal said in an interaction with press.
He also spoke about Kuldeep being preferred over him in the Indian XI.
“At 7 we generally play Ravindra Jadeja or Akshar Patel. Three spinners can only play if the wickets are spin-friendly. Kuldeep is bowling well, he is in a great rhythm and that’s why the team is backing him. I keep working on nets so that whenever I get the chance I will grab it,” he added.
Chahal says not being able to get regular matches doesn’t bother him much as cricket is not an individual sport.
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“We are professional cricketers. I was playing after two months, last I played was in the IPL. It is all about preparation. This is not an individual sport, you are playing here for your team. There are times when players have to sit out for two series, so it doesn’t mean that they are not part of the team.
I am thrilled that I am getting to wear the blue jersey every day. I am not sitting at home. I am traveling with the team. I am part of the team. I have played chess, it is an individual game but cricket is a team sport. Out of fifteen people in the squad, only eleven can play. In the past few series, when I was playing Kuldeep was not getting the chances,” he added.
The leggie was also asked about the difference in the captaincy styles of players he has played under like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya.
“It’s like a family where you have four brothers. Mahi bhai was the eldest, then came Virat bhaiya, then Rohit bhaiya, and now Hardik. Equations remain the same. At the ground, we all wants to win. They give us freedom as a bowler and Hardik gives that space to the bowlers. There has not been drastic changes,” he said.
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