IPL 2021: RCB’s Yuzvendra Chahal reveals what he was missing in the tournament’s first half 

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) Yuzvendra Chahal has returned to the golden form that once made him an asset to the teams he played for. On Sunday, he claimed three for 29 in his four overs against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to help RCB qualify for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 playoffs.

Yuzvendra Chahal endured two contrasting halves to the campaign. The 31-year-old leg-spinner admitted that it’s his belief in himself that has made the major difference.

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On being asked about the adjustments he made to the UAE-leg of the tournament, Yuzvendra Chahal said:

“I just believe in myself. That’s what I was missing in the first half. I have just backed my strength and just varied my line today.”

Electing to bat first, RCB put on 165 on a slow Sharjah track. But PBKS started well with a 91-run stand between KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. Elaborating on his bowling plans against the PBKS, Yuzvendra Chahal revealed that skipper Virat Kohli asked him to contain in the middle-overs.

“On this wicket, 160 is a very good score. We knew if we got early wickets, we could get them. In the middle overs, Virat-bhai (Kohli) told me not to go for wickets. He told me to bowl dot balls,” said Yuzvendra Chahal.

It’s always a challenge to bowl to Mayank Agarwal: RCB's Yuzvendra Chahal

Well past his fifty, Mayank Agarwal was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal, which proved to be the match’s turning point. It was the fifth time in nine innings that the leg-spinner had dismissed his Indian teammate.

“He’s [Mayank Agarwal] a great batsman, and it’s always challenging to bowl to him. I didn’t want to give him loose balls. I wanted him to hit boundaries if he could. We had good momentum. After the first two games, we have bounced back well. Batting, bowling and fielding. We are just focused on taking it game by game,” added Yuzvendra Chahal.

In the first half of the tournament in India, Yuzvendra Chahal had four wickets in seven innings at an average of 47.5, going at 8.3 per over. In the UAE leg, he has 10 wickets from five matches at an average of 10.7, going under six an over. Since IPL 2020, Yuzvendra Chahal has 31 wickets in the UAE at an average of 16.5 and an economy rate of 6.8.

Yuzvendra Chahal’s inconsistent run with the ball resulted in the selectors dropping him from India’s team for the 2021 T20 World Cup. However, his recent form will force them to rethink before finalizing the squad before October 10.