"It was like a meme in 2019" - Yuzvendra Chahal reveals reason behind unique celebration after hat-trick vs KKR
Rajasthan Royals (RR) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal produced a masterclass when he picked up a hat-trick in the 17th over of the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday. According to the IPL 2022 schedule, the two sides face off on Monday, April 18, at the Brabourne Stadium.
Chahal's 5/40 almost shifted the game in his side's favor but there was still some work left to do. Debutant Obed McCoy bowled exceptionally well in the final over to seal the high-scoring thriller in Mumbai.
Yuzvendra Chahal [on hat-trick celebration] - "It's like my old meme, you know. In 2019 World Cup when I didn't play a game and was lying near the boundary"
#IPL2022 #RRvKKR https://t.co/0HbTbVo9dk
Meanwhile, Yuzvendra Chahal came up with a unique celebration on achieving the special feat. Throwing light on the same at the post-match presentation ceremony, the 31-year-old said:
"It was like a meme in 2019, you know. In 2019 World Cup when I didn't play a game and was lying near the boundary."
After going for 38 runs in the first three overs, not many expected Chahal to come back this way. He gave away two runs in the first three balls before picking up three wickets on the trot to complete the hat-trick and enter the list of hat-tricks in the IPL.
Yuzvendra Chahal trapped Shreyas Iyer LBW before dismissing Shivam Mavi off a flighted delivery. With a hat-trick on the line, the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) spinner found a faint edge off Pat Cummins' bat to achieve the rare landmark.
The Haryana-born cricketer admitted that he had specifically worked with the coaches to prepare a plan in the lead up to the game. Chahal continued:
"I had to take wickets in that over to change the result of the match. I planned to bowl wide and mixed things up. I worked with coaches after I learned the size of the boundaries yesterday."
Incidentally, the leg-spinner came close to picking up a hat-trick in the game against the Mumbai Indians. He picked up two in two and induced an edge on the third ball but Karun Nair dropped a dolly at the slip to deny him a special achievement.
bit.ly/TATAIPL-2022-30Special feat deserves special celebration! 🙌🙌
Hat-trick hero @yuzi_chahal! 👏 👏
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#TATAIPL | #RRvKKR | @rajasthanroyals https://t.co/NhAmkGdvxo
On Monday, the Indian international became the fifth Rajasthan Royals bowler to reach the landmark after Ajit Chandila, Pravin Tambe, Shane Watson and Shreyas Gopal.
To see list of IPL winner, click here.
"I knew Pat was thinking of Googly" - Yuzvendra Chahal on the hat-trick ball
Shedding light on what went through his mind before the hat-trick ball, Chahal revealed that wanted to keep things simple and bowl a dot delivery. It was a dream delivery for any leg-spinner as the ball pitched at the right length only to spin away from the batter.
Cummins pushed the ball only to edge it to Rajasthan wicket-keeper Sanju Samson, who completed an easy catch.
Yuzvendra Chahal added:
"In my mind, I knew Pat (Cummins) was thinking of Googly. So I didn't want to take any chance and just wanted to bowl a dot ball."
Chahal is currently the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2022 so far with 17 scalps in six games at an average of 10.35.