Yuzvendra Chahal doesn't mind taking a backseat as India remain keen to rotate players against West Indies in the ongoing T20I series.
Chahal, despite being an excellent bowler, was left out in the three-match ODI series against West Indies, where India emerged victorious with a 2-1 win. While the absence of Chahal was hardly felt, India showcased their depth of talent, relying on spinners Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav to handle the slow bowling department.
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Chahal made his comeback in the first T20I, contributing with clinical figures of 2/24 in three overs. However, his performance was not enough as India faced a narrow defeat by four runs.
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What did Yuzvendra Chahal say?
In a pre-match press conference ahead of the 2nd T20I, Chahal expressed his team-first mentality, saying, "I'm happy that I get a chance to wear the Blue Jersey and I'm not at home but traveling with the team. It is not an individual game, I've played chess, which is an individual game. This is a team game and when 15 players walk together, out of which 11 play and we win matches.
"I've not been playing in the last two-three series. Previously you would have seen me playing in England or West Indies and Kuldeep (Yadav) was not playing then. We need to look at the team combination, you're playing against whom and where are you playing. If tomorrow there is a turning wicket here then you can also field three spinners in the XI."
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Yuzvendra Chahal calls Mahendra Singh Dhoni as 'Badey Bhai'
From MS Dhoni to Hardik Pandya, Chahal has played under several skippers in the Indian team. When asked about the changes in the approach of each captain, the wrist spinner hailed Dhoni as the eldest brother of all and hailed Pandya for trusting his bowlers.
"I see it this way - You have four brothers in your family. Badey bhai they Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni - the eldest brother), then came Virat, Rohit and now Hardik. The equation remains the same. Nothing changes. On the ground, everyone wants their team to win. He gives us freedom as a bowler. The same freedom we used to receive, Hardik is giving us now. We (bowlers) can set our own field," he said.
"Even Hardik is a go-to bowler; if the plan doesn't work, he provides his own input. So there are not any wholesome changes when it comes to leadership. The bowler (At Team India) always receives the freedom he needs from his captain,” Chahal added.
What next for Yuzvendra Chahal?
After a fiery spell in the first T20I, which saw him pick up two wickets in his first three balls, Chahal would hope to get picked in the second T20 as well which will be held on August 6 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
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