I texted Virat Kohli to share the moment (when I got India call): Chahal

06/11/2016

Donning the national colours is every young cricketer's dream, and Yuzvendra Chahal was so elated he told his IPL captain Virat Kohli immediately after receiving the call. The RCB spinner also credited Daniel Vettori for his growth and talked about how he is excited to play under MS Dhoni.

Speaking to bcci.tv, Chahal recounted his day right after he received the India call for the Zimbabwe tour that begins today. "When I was named, I was very happy and it was like a dream come true moment for me. I still remember I texted Virat Kohli to share the moment. He congratulated me and all he asked me to do was to stay focused whenever I would get a chance to wear Indian colours," he said.

"As a player when you go through the rigours of the sport you are playing, representing your country is always your primary goal. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time now. It was my dream to wear the Indian jersey and I am excited to play my first match. I am excited to do well in Zimbabwe."

Chahal has not been resting easy after the call as he talked about how he has prepared ahead by talking and taking inputs from other bowlers. "I have spoken to Mohit Sharma about bowling in Zimbabwe and he told me that there is a bit on offer for the spinners. From what I could gather from his inputs is that if I can use my variations and vary my pace, I can be successful. Also, Narendra Hirwani sir is always there to tell you a few things. Maninder Singh sir also gave me a few tips on my run-up and how I could use it to good effect," he said.

The youngster also expressed his eagerness to play under MS Dhoni saying, "I am excited to play under MS Dhoni. He reads the game really well and I have observed that he notices a lot about your bowling from behind the wickets. I haven't played much under his captaincy but I have seen him walking to his bowlers and advising them about what lines and lengths to bowl," Chahal concluded.

Chahal had a dull first season at IPL when he debuted for Mumbai Indians in 2011, but made his mark in the next edition. However, the true break arrived when he moved to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and there has been no looking back for him since – he ended third, third, and second on the wicket-takers list over the past three IPLs.

"My three years with RCB have been fruitful. I have learnt a lot, especially from RCB coach Daniel Vettori. Bharat Arun sir and Allan Donald too have fed me with a lot of information that will prove handy for me. Then there are the likes of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli who keep telling you about things that I do well in the nets and could work on," said Chahal about the team and the coaching staff who have played an immense role in his growth.

"When I came to RCB, Vettori started observing even finer aspects of my bowling. He would let me know when my body would slide a bit or my strides during my run-up were bigger, or my follow through was faster. Together we worked on all these aspects. I started running a lot slower, reduced my delivery strides and because of such changes I am bowling much better,” he said.

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