"I will give you the chance" - Yuzvendra Chahal recalls how Rohit Sharma got him an unlikely IPL debut
Yuzvendra Chahal's intimate friendship with India's limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma is secret to none. The leg-spinner recently recalled how this bond took root in 2013 when Rohit Sharma handed him an unlikely IPL debut.
Yuzvendra Chahal revealed that Rohit Sharma came to his room soon after taking over the reins of Mumbai Indians from Ricky Ponting. The Mumbaikar caught Yuzvendra Chahal off guard when he assured him of his debut at the pace-friendly Wankhade Stadium with two world-class spinners already in the wings.
"I have a close bond with Rohit bhaiya because we have known each other since 2011 when I first came to Mumbai Indians. I made my IPL debut because of Rohit bhaiya. I was not getting any opportunities and Rohit bhaiya took over the captaincy from Ricky Ponting in that game only. He came to my room and said 'Tu match khel raha hai!' (You are playing the match!). I was [surprised] because we already had Bhajji pa (Harbhajan Singh), Ojha bhaiya (Pragyan Ojha) and we never played 3 spinners," Chahal told India TV.
Yuzvendra Chahal admitted he was bowling well and had wickets to show behind him. He, however, added that Rohit Sharma's decision to play him despite 'Test legends' like Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha being in the side was intriguing nevertheless.
I had a good Champions League and I was always among the wickets in the practice matches. But Bombay (Mumbai)'s wicket was such, and it's still like it, that you couldn't play 3 spinners. And Bhajju pa and Ojha bhaiya were established Test legends. So I got really excited and it was Rohit bhaiya who assured me by saying 'Mai khilaunga tujhe' (I will give you the chance). That's where our bonding started," he added.
Yuzvendra Chahal bowled a wicketless spell in that game and took no further part in the tournament. However, what Rohit Sharma perhaps saw in him proved accurate as the spinner went on to become one of the most successful in IPL history and the lead bowler for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians won the game and Rohit Sharma recorded his first win as an IPL captain. He, too, has reached unfathomable heights since with 5 IPL trophies on his shelf.
"Rohit Sharma is like an elder brother to me" - Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal also talked about how the friendship, which began in IPL 2013, became even stronger when the duo played together for India. Yuzvendra Chahal likened Rohit Sharma to his and Kuldeep Yadav's 'elder brother', asserting that their camaraderie is built on mutual respect.
"Then when I came to the Indian team there he, me and Kuldeep [Yadav], we always stayed together, always ate together. He's like an elder brother to me. You can have fun with him while knowing that you can't cross the line because of the respect you have for him. So, like this, our bond became strong," Chahal concluded.
Rohit Sharma will be in action for India in the World Test Championship and 5-Test series against England. Yuzvendra Chahal, on the other hand, will get a chance to prove his stake in the T20 World Cup when India's white-ball specialists tour Sri Lanka in July.