Asia Cup 2022: Yuzvendra Chahal vs Ravi Bishnoi - Who should play the remaining games for India?
Wrist spinners are the in-demand bowlers in the shortest format of the game and India have two top tweakers in Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi. While the duo might differ in their style and approach to bowling, they both bring quality to the table for the Men in Blue to consider.
However, the usually dependable pair haven't delivered just yet for India at the Asia Cup 2022. The Indian spinners have taken only three wickets in three matches over the course of the tournament so far.
Most teams would love to field two leg-spinners in their playing XI but for the Indians, it comes at the cost of balance. With Ravindra Jadeja ruled out due to injury, the team is missing a vital all-rounder in the No. 7 slot.
One out of Ravichandran Ashwin, Deepak Hooda or Axar Patel will be expected to be slot in the side to fill that hole. This in turn means only one of Bishnoi and Chahal will be able to play with the other missing out.
We will try to break down the factors that might determine which of the two must play the remaining games for India in the ongoing Asia Cup.
#1 Experience
Yuzvendra Chahal has played 65 T20I matches for India, taking 80 wickets at an economy rate of 8.08.
He has been one of India's most effective wicket-taking options in recent times since making his comeback to the side. Having played in the ICC World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy for India, Chahal has plenty of experience across formats and is a dependable option.
In comparison, Ravi Bishnoi has only played 10 matches for the Men in Blue, taking 16 wickets at an economy rate of 7.09. Albeit a smaller sample size, the Lucknow Super Giants spinner has shown enough to warrant his place in the side.
India's decision might go in Chahal's favor in this regard considering the kind of experience he brings to the side in comparison to his younger compatriot.
#2 Current form
Chahal was the better bowler during the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), winning the Purple Cap with 27 wickets in the tournament. Meanwhile, Bishnoi only bagged 13 wickets in the tournament and with a worse economy rate than the senior bowler.
However, quite a few things have changed since the end of the IPL season, making this point an interesting one. Purely on current form, Bishnoi has the better numbers in the shortest format of international cricket in recent times.
In T20Is played in 2022, Chahal has taken 16 wickets in 14 matches, while his fellow leggie has picked up the same number of wickets in just 10 games.
While the two have similar economy rates, Bishnoi has an average of 17.1 and a strike rate of 14.5. This is well ahead of Chahal's average of 22.8 and strike rate of 18.8.
More importantly, in the one game Bishnoi has played in the Asia Cup 2022, he was the better performer among the two tweakers.
The youngster bowled four overs against Pakistan on Sunday (September 4), including one at the death, and conceded just 26 runs, picking up one wicket. Chahal also scalped one wicket but gave away 43 runs in his four overs as the Men in Green took him to the cleaners.
#3 Abilities
India playing two leggies, Chahal and Bishnoi. Interesting!
Numbers can only tell you a part of the story. A deeper analysis of the abilities Chahal and Bishnoi bring to the fore might give you a more well-rounded answer.
After a tremendous IPL, there was seemingly no doubt that Chahal would be India's first-choice spinner going into the T20 World Cup. However, his recent run of lean performances has forced some doubts to come bubbling up to the surface again.
These seem to be the same doubts that had him out of the starting eleven prior to the 2022 IPL.
When there is purchase for spinners on the pitch, Chahal is a tremendous bowler. However, the tracks in the UAE, where the Asia Cup is taking place, have been quite placid and the leggie's struggles have been glaringly evident.
The 32-year-old lacks the ability to vary his pace on flat surfaces, which allows batters to play him out. While his method of picking up wickets by giving the ball more flight is an effective one, it makes him come off as a one-tricky pony when it doesn't.
Bishnoi, on the other hand, has immense control over his speeds and lengths. He isn't a traditional leg-spinner but is predominantly a bowler who relies on bowling his quick wrong ones. He is much faster through the air and doesn't give batters a chance to line him up, which creates more pressure and leads to wickets.
That makes him an effective option against left-handed batters as well. He also seems to be developing a decent leg-break to add to what he already has in his bag of tricks.
All things considered, Bishnoi should be the one to be given the nod ahead of Chahal for the rest of the ongoing Asia Cup. While the latter's experience is invaluable, the former could be the wiser choice due to his current form and guile.