‘Kuldeep and I have freedom to attack’
INDIA’S SPIN STAR Chahal speaks about former leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani and wicketkeeper Dhoni’s influence on his bowling, says he is becoming more mature with experience
NEWDELHI: A successful stint in the limited overs series Down Under, where he picked 15 wickets in six games, including six in the Melbourne ODI, makes Yuzvendra Chahal an important player in India’s scheme of things for the World Cup in England. Chahal, currently at the National Cricket Academy, speaks on his career and future.
Around the same time last year, you were making an impact in South Africa ODIS. How has the journey been so far?
The more you play, the more you learn and mature. I think I have gained in experience and that always helps. You tend to become more mature with experience. I have improved skill-wise and importantly, have gained in confidence. Also, I have begun to focus a bit on batting and fielding.
Tell us about your batting.
It is important to be an allround cricketer as it always helps the team. Whatever time I get at the nets, 10-15 minutes, I try to make best use of it and always seek (Sanjay) Bangar sir’s advice. I think if I can improve other facets, it’ll only help the team.
India have plenty of all-rounders now, with Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav. Krunal Pandya too is doing well in T20. Does that put pressure?
It is always good to have allrounders for balance. Also, so many all-rounders also means you have a terrific benchstrength and that augurs well for the team.
Preparation for the World Cup.
As I told you last year, I take it series by series. At the moment, the forthcoming Australia (limited overs) series is important and I am focused on that. Then the World Cup. But yeah, I have an idea of how to bowl there. The wickets there (in England) will be dry. You have those kind of wickets here too and we know how to prepare for them. You bowl on and prepare for what you get. If the wicket is supporting turn, you can pitch it up, else you hold back. Also, I vary as per the situation after getting a cue from others. I see what others, who bowl before me, including Kuldeep, are doing and then I think of it.
How big an influence Dhoni is.
He is chilled out. He always helps with what to bowl as he reads the wicket extremely well. He has been a skipper for years, his thinking is very clear. Also, he is a wicketkeeper, so watches things very closely. Especially, towards the end, when Virat is in the deep, say long on or long off, and it is difficult to speak to him every now and then, Mahi (Dhoni) is the man I look up to for advice.
Your partnership with other spinners, Kuldeep and Kedar.
Both Kuldeep and I are wickettaking bowlers. We possess a lot of variations between us. Even when we are going for runs, the mandate is that we have to go
for wickets as that can dent the opposition. We have the freedom to go for wickets and always go for them. In the middle overs, if you keep chipping in with wickets you can cover even if you have gone for runs early on.
Also, someone like Kedar is important. He can give you the sixth bowler’s option, can fill in overs if someone is going for runs and can also be given full quota if need arises. He has a different action and has a lot of variations. His deliveries stay low and are difficult to score of as the batsmen can’t get underneath them.
The impact of chess in your life.
I have said this before so many times that it has taught me patience. These days though I don’t play it as much, only
sometimes I play it online.
If it isn’t that much of chess these days, then what?
PUBG (Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, an online game involving fights). There are 4-5 of us in the team that are into playing it. Mahi (MS Dhoni), Rishabh (Pant), Manish (Pandey), (Mohammed) Shami, we all love playing it. I also play snooker and pool.
Narendra Hirwani’s influence.
I seek advice from him when I feel I want to understand something about my bowling – the kind of lengths I need to bowl. Or if something is wrong, what I need to correct.
You wear contact lenses.
Yeah, while playing I do. It is -1.5 (degree of myopia).