IPL 2016: Chess helps me pre-empt the batsman, says Yuzvendra Chahal after maiden Indian call-up

25-year-old leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has been exceptional in this edition of the Indian Premier League for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The uncapped spinner was bought for Rs. 10 lakh in the 2014 IPL auction.

His tremendous improvement this year has earned him a place in the Indian team for their tour of Zimbabwe in June. Virat Kohli’s magnificent 919 runs and Chahal’s 19 wickets in IPL 9 are the main reason for RCB’s turnaround this year, with the duo being the proud holders of the Orange and the Purple Cap respectively.

Royal Challengers Bangalore had almost been written off this season, as they were languishing in the bottom two places until two weeks ago but leapfrogged Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders to finish the group stages as the second best-placed team.

Chahal, previously a junior international chess player, made all the right moves to impress the national selectors. The other uncapped players who will be accompanying him on the Zimbabwe tour are Faiz Fazal, Mandeep Singh, Jayant Yadav and Karun Nair.

Surprisingly, Cricket was not the leggie’s first love, he started playing Chess at the age of seven and pursued the sport into his teens, until he took to spinning the ball. The youngster has represented India in the 2003 Asian Youth Championship and the Under-12 World Youth Chess Championship in Greece.

"Chess helps me in plotting a batsman's dismissal. I try to be one step ahead, especially in T20s where the bowler has to think on his feet. When the batsman is going hard, I try to remain calm. My chess training helps me in staying focused with the job on hand," Chahal told The Times of India.

The leggie was a part of the Mumbai Indians squad until 2014, and he has been a regular for RCB in the past two years. Chahal has played 25 List A matches and has taken 25 wickets, with best figures of 6/24.

RCB take on the Gujarat Lions tonight in the first qualifier at the Chinnaswamy Stadium with the winner directly qualifying for the final of IPL 2016.