Yuzvendra Chahal's rollercoaster fortnight: Losing the battle and winning the war
As Yuzvendra Chahal chuckled his way to a remarkable 200 IPL wickets, the first to do so in league history, the decibel levels of the noise pushing for his selection to the Indian T20 World Cup squad heightened.
The leg-spinner was toying with batters, as he inevitably does like clockwork in the IPL, and leading the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on a winning spree. And the much-awaited T20 World Cup selection fell into his lap just over a week after, capping off a memorable fortnight for Chahal.
He finally conquered the war, reaching Mount-200, and clawing his way back to the Indian side with the possibility of playing his first-ever T20 World Cup game. But amid his fairytale run, is Chahal losing the battle for himself and his side?
Despite RR's magical run, the uncomfortable truth ruins a beautiful Yuzvendra Chahal story if we deep dive into his exploits since picking up the 200th IPL wicket.
How is Yuzvendra Chahal still stuck on 200 IPL wickets a fortnight after reaching the historic milestone?
April 22 - Yuzvendra Chahal becomes the first cricketer to reach 200 IPL wickets with a wicket off his 3rd delivery against the Mumbai Indians (MI).
May 3- 69 balls later, Chahal is surprisingly still on 200 IPL wickets.
The struggles started even before the 200th wicket for the 33-year-old in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) clash before the one against MI. Chahal was carted to all corners of Eden Gardens en route to woeful figures of 1/54 in four overs.
Yet, Jos Buttler's heroics in the run-chase and his milestone conquest in the following MI clash masked the KKR debacle as a possible aberration. Here's Chahal's bowling numbers after reaching 200 IPL wickets:
69 balls, 150 runs, 0 wickets, 13 boundaries, 9 maximums
In RR's latest outing against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), Chahal endured his most expensive spell at 0/62 in four overs.
The champion leg-spinner shared his thoughts about being picked for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and U.S.A. ahead of the SRH outing.
"For the WC (you can congratulate me for that). We play IPL, domestic cricket to get into the Indian team and that's my biggest achievement. I think I played there (West Indies and USA) last July, but when I was out of the Indian team; I played domestic T20s and cricket keeps going on," said Chahal.
Did the highs of a 200th IPL wicket and breaking into the Indian squad for the showpiece event play a part in Yuzvendra Chahal's incomprehensive struggles in his last few matches? That is something only he can answer.
The pace seems slower than a snail again and the lengths are too full or short, bringing up forgettable memories of his struggles in Indian colors last year.
For now, RR will desperately need its lead spinner to rediscover the magic as they look to forge ahead in the business end of the IPL season. How different or similar Chahal's upcoming two fortnights are from his previous one will determine the distance RR travel as a side in the tournament.
Yuzvendra Chahal has emerged victorious in the war ( 200th IPL wicket and Indian selection). Yet, his losing the ongoing battle (recent form) is a worrying sign for Team India and RR's chances at the ultimate war - title run at the World Cup and IPL.
Yuzvendra Chahal's misery, Top-order struggles & a 1-run defeat sums up RR's ultimate 'Moral Victory'
Picture this - Yuzvendra Chahal endures his worst-ever IPL outing with figures of 0/62, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson dismissed for a duck in the first over, and even Trent Boult going wicketless.
What would even the staunchest RR fan predict as the outcome of a game that had all this transpire? A crushing defeat, especially against a strong SRH side at home?
And yet, RR overcame all these to almost pull off a comfortable victory before an unexpected middle-order collapse. Having conceded a massive 201/3 in 20 overs, Sanju Samson's side was reduced to 1/2 after five deliveries in their run-chase.
With 8 wins in 9 games, RR could have easily mailed it in as one of those off-days, inevitable even for top sides in an IPL season. However, they fought tooth and nail to keep the winning run going, an epitome of the side aiming big.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag added a stunning 134 runs for the third wicket before a Romvan Powell flourish at the end fell just short. While RR will hope for roses throughout the business end of the season and in the playoffs, such tumultuous days for even the star players are undeniable.
A game like this, where they almost defied all odds to pull off a win, sends a scarier message for the other nine teams than a victory built out of a Chahal 5-fer or a Buttler/Samson century.
Similarities with the 2008 title run bodes well for RR
The underdog story of the Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural IPL season in 2008 remains etched in the memories of fans around the country.
Counted out and even ridiculed pre-tournament, the Late Great Shane Warne inspired a group of men on a mission to silence doubters. RR won 11 out of their 14 league stage games and triumphed in a thrilling finale against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). And the similarities between that and their side this season are barely believable.
A dynamic opening combination featuring a veteran batter and a young talent in Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar is replicated now by Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal. A leggie in Yuzvendra Chahal impacting the overall fortunes of the side mirrors the Warne effect.
The unexpected flurry of match-winning gifts in the middle order by Sanju Samson and Riyan Parag finds its match with Shane Watson and Yusuf Pathan. And the guts and glue of the lineups, Ravichandran Ashwin now to Ravindra Jadeja then, completes the parallels.
And yes, both RR sides were winners of 8 out of their first 10 games, boasting multiple four-game winning streaks.
Now, it is up to the 2024 RR unit to complete the task that the one in 2008 did with determination, domination, and a touch of clutchness. As Shane Warne looks from above, having produced the ultimate Cinderella story 16 years back, Sanju Samson hopes to write his own 'Royal' Chapter by putting the finishing touches on a so-far magical run.