Harman injured, Harleen in for England ODIS
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 CHANDIGARH: Harleen Kaur is all set to fulfil her dream of representing India. The 20-year-old allrounder replaced injured Harmanpreet Kaur for India women’s upcoming three-odi series against England in Mumbai starting Feb 21. Harmanpreet is out due to ankle injury.
“I was with the Himachal Pradesh squad in Mumbai for T20 senior nationals when I was informed about the inclusion. I am excited and raring to go. I have worked really hard to get here. I have been staying away from my parents for seven years now, all for my passion. It’s time to take up the chance and deliver,” said Harleen, who grabbed spotlight in the Challenger Trophyone-dayerswhileplaying for India Red and scoring 119 runs in three matches last month. Har- 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 leen made 21 off 29 balls during the warm-up game against the visiting Heather Knight-led England women’s team in Mumbai.
Harleen shifted from Punjab to Dharamsala seven years ago in search of better facilities and opportunities. Her family made peace with her decision to shift to Dharamsala after seeing her passion and her grandmother’s desire to see her play for India.
“It was a difficult decision to make at that time. The Punjab Cricket Association was not offering much to young women cricketers when I was 13, so I opted to move to Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association U-19 residential academy. It was the best decision of my life. It was my grandmother Gurudev Kaur’s dream and I am now close to fulfilling it,” said Harleen, who opens for Himachal and is a legspinner who idolises legendary
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 Australian spinner Shane Warne. Harleen has been consistent for her state in the U-19, U-23 and senior competitions.
Last year, she was selected in the India ‘A’ women’s team which playedtwot20warm-upmatches against the visiting England women’s team. However, she could not make a mark.
“It was my first brush with an international side. It was a bit too much for me. But I relished bowling,” added Harleen.
On her daughter’s selection, Charanjit said, “All our sacrifices paid off. We missed Harleen’s teenage years. She left a top school in Mohali to study in Dharamshala only to pursue her dreams.” Meanwhile, it is learnt that Harmanpreet’s participation in the three-match T20 series against England in Guwahati is also in doubt and has been advised to go to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
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).