Yuzvendra Chahal

India's search for a legspinner after Anil Kumble is still on despite the likes of Amit Mishra showing promise to start with and later failing to keep up the consistency level. A skilled legspinner is always a match-winner and great bowlers like Shane Warne and Kumble have proved in their stellar careers.

Legspin is a difficult craft to master in cricket and it takes years of practice and game-time to hone the skills. However, for Yuzvendra Chahal the transition from chess to legspin is a rarity in cricketing folklore. Chahal, born in Haryana, used to play chess at the junior level for India before making a shift to cricket.

He attracted the spotlight when he finished the 2009 Cooch Behar Trophy as the highest wicket-taker with 34 wickets. The same year at the age of 19 he made his first-class debut in Indore against Madhya Pradesh. Chahal was signed by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2011 IPL season.

Chahal didn't get many opportunities at Mumbai Indians and was back in the auction pool for the 2014 IPL season. This turned out to be a good move for him, as he was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), where he became a key part of their bowling lineup.

In that season, Chahal played every match for the first time in his IPL career and became a crucial player for captain Virat Kohli and RCB. He went on to play 113 matches across eight seasons and went on to become RCB's highest wicket-taker before the franchise released him ahead of the 2022 mega IPL auction. He may not have enough variations but his quick bowling action and precise line and length make up for it.

Chahal's success at RCB and Kohli's support led to his selection for the Indian national team in 2016, first in T20Is and later in ODIs. He made his international debut during the Zimbabwe tour in mid-2016 and impressed in both formats.

Chahal continued to improve, delivering standout performances such as his six for 25 against England in a T20I match in Bengaluru. He also performed well in the Sri Lanka series, earning him a spot in the 2019 World Cup squad.

In the 2022 mega auction, Yuzvendra Chahal was acquired by the Rajasthan Royals for INR 6.5 crore. He quickly made an impact, winning the Purple Cap for taking the most wickets (27) as the Royals reached their first IPL final since 2008, finishing as runners-up to the Gujarat Titans. That season, he also took a hat-trick against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Brabourne Stadium.

In IPL 2023, Chahal surpassed Dwayne Bravo to become the leading wicket-taker in IPL history. The legspinner on the back of his impressive performance in IPL 2024 made a comeback to the India side and was included in the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Chahal is yet to feature in a T20 World Cup match after being looked over for Rahul Chahar in the 2021 edition, although part of the squad in 2022, he sat out with R Ashwin and Axar Patel with batting abilities getting the preference.