"Anil Kumble has been my idol since childhood" - Punjab Kings' Rahul Chahar elated to work with India legend during IPL 2022
The Punjab Kings squad for IPL 2022 wears a solid new look, with the exciting prospect of talented opener Mayank Agarwal being set to lead the side in his maiden assignment as captain.
Mayank will have the experience of veteran Shikhar Dhawan to rely on for inspiration. The presence of foreign heavyweights in Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow and Kagiso Rabada, to name a few, adds a formidable outlook to the Punjab setup.
On the domestic talent front, Punjab splurged a major part of their purse to sign the services of spinner Rahul Chahar, who has tasted terrific success in the IPL with the Mumbai Indians and has also made an impact for the Indian cricket team.
For Chahar, joining Punjab is more than just a new chapter in his cricketing life. Having idolized Indian cricket legend Anil Kumble from a young age, the leggie is set to live his dream of learning the ropes from one of India's greatest spinners during IPL 2022.
Speaking to Sportskeeda in an exclusive chat, Chahar shed light on working with Kumble, his bond with captain Mayank and a brand new role ahead of IPL 2022.
Q. You will be spending quite a lot of time with Anil Kumble, who is one of the world's greatest spinners. How big is this opportunity for you?
I am extremely happy that Anil Sir is there this time; I will get to learn a lot from him. He has taken so many wickets in the Test format, and he has been my idol since childhood. I love playing the Test format as well, and I'm very keen to learn as much as I can from him now that I will spend more than two months alongside him during this IPL season. I am very happy that I have a chance to learn from someone as great as him.
Q. You have a very important role at Punjab Kings as the lead spinner. What are some of the key areas you are looking to focus on?
I am very excited because this is a big role, there is a lot of responsibility that comes with it. I will need to take care of that and do justice to what is expected of me by the team, and I will look to give my 100% in every match.
Q. What sort of bond do you share with your Punjab captain, Mayank Agarwal? What are you expecting from his captaincy?
I have a great bond with Mayank, we have been representing India A for the last 3-4 years and he knows me very well. Now, after two or three practice sessions and a few practice matches, we have been talking about my bowling and he understands me well. He's a very focused individual and a serious cricketer, so I'm excited to play under him.
Q. The Punjab Kings squad also has the presence of IPL star Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order. How important will he be to the side's chances of going all the way?
Shikhar paaji is a great player, he's been doing well for so many years. He's the seniormost player in our team and it will be important for us that he takes up the responsibility of batting at the top of the order. As a senior batsman, he will add balance to the IPL team with the responsibility up the order.
Q. In terms of foreign players, the Punjab Kings squad is stacked with quite some quality. Which particular player are you looking forward to work with the most?
I would say Liam Livingstone, because he is also a leg-spinner and he has a lot of experience. He's also well known for his power-hitting, and I want to be an all-rounder as well, so Livingstone for me.
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Q. Shifting to the Indian cricket team now, would you say a good IPL 2022 season can strengthen your chances of making the T20 World Cup team?
Every IPL season is very important, there is no edition that is not. As a player, I personally don't think too far. My job is to focus on the matches at hand, and I believe cricket is very unpredictable. I don't look into the future. My focus is to do well for Punjab, and that is the only thing on my mind.
Q. Finally, just heading back to the IPL, you have quite a big price tag which you will have to justify. How did you celebrate when Punjab spent ₹5.25 crore on you at the IPL 2022 Auction?
Obviously it felt great, but I don't think much about money. For me, the opportunities and chances I get are a lot more important. Right after the auction, I was very happy that I will get a chance to work and learn from Anil Sir. As for celebrations, I just went out for dinner with Shivam Mavi, he too had a good auction.