Mahi Bhai and Kohli Bhai are my guiding light, says Yuzvendra Chahal

09/12/2017

Yuzvendra Chahal has credited Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni for his success calling the duo his 'guiding light'. Chahal admitted that the trust the Indian skipper showed in him gave him the confidence to bowl anywhere and in any situation during the innings which will help him against Australia.

Earlier, Team India head coach Ravi Shastri and Kohli claimed that their aim was to get a squad ready for the 2019 World Cup and to achieve that goal the needful changes needed to be made. After Chahal and Axar Patel's impressive performances in the Sri Lanka series, the duo were picked over their more experienced pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.

“It is always crucial to have a guiding light, but fortunately for me, I have two in Kohli bhai and Mahi bhai (Dhoni). While the skipper is like a friend, constantly trusting me to go ahead and implement the plans I wish to on the field, Mahi bhai is more like the mentor I turn to every time I have any doubt in my head. Being the wicketkeeper, he has a clear idea of what is going on and what could be the ideal strategy against a certain batsman,” Chahal said as quoted by Cricketnext.

The 27-year-old had experienced just 7 ODIs and 7 T20Is in India's colors claiming 11 and 14 wickets respectively. The selectors showed their trust on him by giving the responsibility of spin attack for the upcoming series against the Kangaroos where the team will play five ODIs and three T20Is.

“I must say that thanks to the skipper, I now have the confidence to bowl anywhere in the innings and in any situation. Be it the first over of a T20 game or the 50th over of an ODI game, I am ready to go through the grind and give it my best. And I must say that along with having faith in my own belief, it is the seniors like Kohli bhai and Mahi bhai who make the job of youngsters like me easier,” he said.

Before Kohli and Manish Pandey led the team to victory in the one-off T20 against Sri Lanka, Kuldeep Yadav and Chahal helped team India wrap the Sri Lankan innings for 170. Chahal explained his excitement of sharing the pitch with another wrist spinner at the same time in the match.

“I am really looking forward to it. Not often do you get two wrist spinners bowling in tandem so that makes it all the more special. We will look to complement each other if and when we are given a go,” the 27-year-old said.

Even before his India debut, Chahal had the experience of playing under Kohli’s captaincy as he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. This has resulted in the Indian skipper knowing his bowler's strengths and weaknesses inside out.

“Playing under him in the IPL has ensured that he has a clear idea as to what is my strength and weakness and I am sure that helps him to decide on how he wishes to use me. Also, I feel that both the IPL and playing for India has its own charm and you need to give it your best every time you walk into the field. To me, both are equally important as while I have a city vying for me in the IPL, the country looks up at me to bring smiles every time I wear the national cap,” he said.

Australia visited India, earlier this year, for four Test matches where India reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by a score of 2-1. Ahead of the ODI series, the spinner claimed that he will try to stick to his style of bowling and he is much worry about the opposition.

“We will obviously plan for all their players, but too early to talk about it at present. I keep things simple and look to try and do the best I can and not worry too much about the opposition. But then, you do have certain plans for certain batsmen,” Chahal concluded.

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Mahi Bhai and Kohli Bhai are my guiding light, says Yuzvendra Chahal

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