Yuzvendra Chahal proved again why he is the most feared among all spin specialists, as the experienced leggie conjured up a match-turning performance for Punjab Kings (PBKS) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Chahal spun his magic around KKR batters, taking a brilliant 4 for 28, in a low-scoring thriller at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Mullanpur. His effort turned the match in favour of PBKS, putting him down in the record books.
Thus, having done this, Chahal matched Narine’s record of eight four-wicket hauls in the history of the IPL, an elite mark that is not close to being matched by too many bowlers. Nevertheless, it is special since it was his third instance of claiming four wickets against KKR only. No bowler can level him, for now, Mount Chahal has climbed up to 33 against KKR, and the climb continues.
The PBKS must have only been able to put a paltry, by T20 standards, total of 112 runs on the board. But where others saw doom, Chahal saw opportunity. He was brought on at a crucial juncture in KKR’s run chase, whereupon he dug into his career-ene accuracy and guile that acted in dismantling the batsmen of KKR. The wickets began to tumble one by one, and as the pressure mounted, the Knight Riders fell apart, losing the match by a margin of 16 runs.
At 33 years of age, Chahal has shown no signs of slowing down. This effort entails a meaningful reinforcement of his worth, not only for PBKS but also for the IPL itself. With over 190 wickets already to his tally, he is the highest wicket-taker in the IPL, and his winning performances under pressure are what set him above the rest.
In IPL’s storied legacy, interestingly, unlike Chahal, Narine thrives on drift and deception while the latter is known for his mysterious variations; yet they share the same statistics that bind them together.
With Chahal’s presence, a team struggling to find consistency showers an array of benefits. PBKS will hope this will give the needed momentum to climb higher on the points table. In a season full of surprises, an individual performance of this caliber can well prove to be the turning point for a team’s campaign.
