Yuzvendra Chahal, the former chess international who became a record-breaking leg-spinner
Before he bowled leg spin for India, Yuzvendra Chahal represented his country at chess. He went on to become the first Indian to take a five-wicket haul in T20 internationals, the first player to reach 200 IPL wickets, and the first concussion substitute ever named player of the match.
Born on 23 July 1990, he was signed by Mumbai Indians in 2011 but played only one IPL game in three seasons. He did feature in every match of the 2011 Champions League Twenty20, taking 2 for 9 in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru as Mumbai defended 139. Bengaluru signed him in 2014 for his base price of 10 lakh rupees, and he later moved to Rajasthan Royals, taking a hat-trick and five wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders on 18 April 2022.
His international debut came against Zimbabwe at Harare on 11 June 2016, and in only his second ODI he took 3 for 26 to earn his first player of the match award. On 1 February 2017 he demolished England with 6 for 25, then the best T20I figures by a leg-spinner, and he finished 2017 as the leading T20I wicket-taker with 23.
In Melbourne on 18 January 2019 he took 6 for 42 against Australia, the best return by an Indian spinner against the hosts at the MCG, and he claimed 12 wickets at that year's World Cup. On 4 December 2020 he came on for the concussed Ravindra Jadeja in a T20I against Australia and won the match award. His 100th ODI wicket arrived in February 2022 against the West Indies.
In 2023 he was the first Indian bowler to reach 300 T20 wickets, and in April 2024 he reached 200 in the IPL. He was in the India squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup, though he did not play a match. Overlooked for the 2023 Asia Cup and World Cup, he spent spells in county cricket, first with Kent and then Northamptonshire, taking 5 for 14 against Kent on debut for his new club.
Source: Yuzvendra Chahal
