"It was pretty special for me as well" - Yuzvendra Chahal throws light on his viral celebration in IPL 2022
Rajasthan Royals (RR) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal produced a unique celebration after completing his hat-trick against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2022 on April 18.
On consecutive deliveries, Chahal dismissed Shreyas Iyer and all-rounders Shivam Mavi and Pat Cummins to bag his first IPL hat-trick. He came close to picking up a hat-trick earlier this season but missed it after Karun Nair spilled a catch.
The 31-year-old cricketer from Haryana was certainly happy as jumped in joy, put in a slide, and lay sideways unperturbed. This was a recreation of a viral meme that emerged during the 2019 World Cup in England.
He shed some light on the same during a conversation at the Sharechat Audio Chatrooms alongside teammates Navdeep Saini and Kuldeep Sen. Yuzvendra Chahal said:
"I was not playing a game during the 2019 World Cup. So, I was lying on the ground and a picture of the same went viral on social media. Later, I got to know people are making memes out of it, so it was pretty special for me as well. Hence, I thought if I pick a five-wicket haul, I will celebrate with that pose. So it was already there on my head, and I celebrated the success with that pose."
Chahal eventually finished with figures of 5/40 as Rajasthan defended 218 runs. Shreyas kept Kolkata in the hunt with a 85-run knock. However, Chahal's brilliance followed by Obed McCoy's last-over heroics helped the Royals secure two crucial points.
View the IPL 2022 orange cap here.
"I am just enjoying each and every game" - Yuzvendra Chahal on his debut stint with RR
The India international was snared by the Rajasthan franchise at the IPL 2022 auction earlier this year for ₹6.5 crore. Chahal has justified his selection and has been in scintillating form.
He is currently the IPL 2022 Purple Cap holder, with 22 wickets under his belt, an economy rate of 7.25 runs per over and an average of under 15. Sharing his experience of playing in a new IPL team, Yuzvendra Chahal stated:
"I am feeling extremely happy about the first season and I was pretty excited since the start. When I reached the camp and met everyone I felt really happy. Currently, I am just enjoying each and every game and trying to work hard and give my best to the team in order to contribute to the win."
With the tournament almost at its business end, Chahal will look to better his performance as Rajasthan fancy their chance for a top-four finish.