It seems the story is of almost every year for the past few years. Yuzvendra Chahal performs brilliantly in the IPL, yet either he doesn’t get picked in India’s white-ball teams, or if he does, he doesn’t get to play in the ICC event.
The 33-year-old leg-spinner has started the IPL 2024 on an impressive note as well. He’s picked up six wickets in 3 games in which he bowled 10 overs. He’s averaging a terrific 9.17 so far and striking every 10 deliveries. His economy of 5.5 is simply outstanding considering he also bowled some tough overs in the death.
But, will this start to the IPL 2024 for the senior Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, be enough to get him on the plane to the West Indies and the USA for the T20 World Cup 2024 in June?
Chahal has had five consecutive bumper IPL seasons. From 2019 to 2023, he picked up at least 18 wickets in each IPL season, including a peak performance of 27 wickets in IPL 2022.
He had missed out on selection in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE. He sneaked into the squad for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, but remained on the bench throughout the tournament. He was not in contention for the World Cup 2023 spot.
Yuzvendra Chahal has 193 IPL wickets so far: Will he make into India’s T20 World Cup squad?
Now, with the T20 World Cup 2024 slated for June, immediately following the IPL season, there is a chance for Yuzvendra Chahal to finally make an appearance in the T20 ICC event.
Among the spin bowling options, the two locked players seem Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, while Ravi Bishnoi also is very close to sealing his spot because of his faster trajectories and excellent googly.
Chahal, on the other hand, likes to float the ball and tempt the batters into baits, in contrast with Bishnoi, who looks to beat the batters with pace and movement off the pitch. Bishnoi, though, hasn’t had an ideal start to his IPL campaign: the Lucknow Super Giants leg-spinner has taken only 1 wicket in 3 outings.
Axar Patel, a Jadeja clone, is another option worth considering for India as he offers a hitting pedigree with the bat.
The pitches in the West Indies, where the Super 8 and knockouts will be played, are expected to remain dry and offer turn. In that case, India could do well by including Yuzvendra Chahal in their squad, given his huge experience of T20 format and his good form at the start of the IPL 2024.
Also Read: IPL 2024: SRH Fans Troll CSK With Pat Cummins’ Famous “Silent” Celebration
