Yuzvendra Chahal & RCB - 3 Records he broke during his 7-year stay at RCB
A seven-year long stint for Yuzvendra Chahal at Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB) appears to have come to an end. The spinner wasn't retained by RCB ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.
There is a chance that RCB will bid for him in the upcoming mega auction. However, for now it seems like Yuzi’s time at the Chinnaswamy stadium is over.
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He has been a mainstay for the team through seven seasons, appearing in 113 matches and taking 139 wickets. Chahal’s time with RCB was fantastic. The sight of him courageously looping the ball, despite the shorter Bengaluru boundaries, was a treat.
He will also be missed for his diving around at short-fine-leg in the field, and his chemistry with Virat Kohli. RCB loyalists will certainly miss the effervescent, bubbly presence of Chahal in the RCB red.
Chahal’s stay with RCB since 2014 was not just about fun and platitudes though. He had an extremely impactful run as well. RCB’s best performance in the past seven years was three playoff appearances (2015, 2020, and 2021). Chahal played a key role in each of these seasons.
He also broke and created a bunch of records during this run with the Bengaluru franchise. Here’s looking at three records that Chahal holds as of now, all under the RCB umbrella.
Most Economical Bowling Spell in the IPL
4-1-6-1.
These are spectacular numbers for a T20 match. Chahal produced this spell against Chennai Super Kings in the 2019 edition. He, along with Ashish Nehra and Fidel Edwards, share the record for the most economical bowling spell in the IPL.
A helpful pitch at Chepauk meant Chahal opened the bowling. He bowled three overs on the trot in the powerplay, conceding just five. He then returned in the 13th over, conceding just one run.
Unfortunately, this came in a losing cause as RCB, after batting first, could muster just 70 runs. Chahal’s tight bowling and CSK’s go-slow didn’t cause much flutter in the match. CSK reached their target in 17.4 overs.
Most wickets for RCB
When you know you’re the highest wicket taker for RCB!🕺😉
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Yuzi Chahal is comfortably the most successful bowler for Royal Challengers Bangalore. His haul of 139 wickets is not just the 9th highest in the IPL, but also the highest for RCB. No one else has over 100 wickets for them.
Next on the list is Vinay Kumar, who picked up 80 wickets over his six seasons for the franchise. Upstart Harshal Patel is next with 66 wickets.
Chahal’s Strike Rate of 17.61 is also among the best in the history of the IPL. It is the 9th lowest overall in the IPL, and the third lowest among bowlers with 100+ wickets.
Most wickets in the IPL since 2014
Chahal’s wicket-taking run with RCB since 2014 has been the most prolific among all bowlers in the IPL. He has more wickets than anyone else in this same period.
The next best was Jasprit Bumrah with 127 wickets, followed by Bhuvaneshwar Kumar with 118 wickets. Another clear indicator of the value and impact that Chahal delivered to the RCB franchise.
Chahal has been one of RCB’s biggest assets over the years. Most fans and experts would have thought that him being retained might be a no-brainer. But alas.
However, it’s still not set in stone. It is possible that Yuzi may find his way back to RCB. But other teams will certainly be licking their lips when his name springs up in the auction. Or perhaps one of the new teams pluck him up before the auction comes up?