Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal player profile

Yuzvendra Chahal is an attacking legspinner who first attracted attention when he took 34 wickets in the National Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy in 2009, ending the tournament as its leading wicket-taker. A former chess player who represented India at junior levels, Chahal made his first-class debut for Haryana the same year and was signed by Mumbai Indians in 2011 to be part of their IPL squad.

He didn't play a game that season but was still named in Mumbai's Champions League T20 squad the same year. It was in the Champions League that he got an extended run in the side - he featured in the playing XI in all the matches and starred in Mumbai's win in the final with a spell of 3-0-9-2. However, in the next two years with Mumbai, he managed only one game. His IPL fortunes mirrored those in domestic cricket, where he played in only eight matches in three seasons from 2011-12 onwards and picked up just 16 wickets.

It was with Royal Challengers Bangalore, though, that he found the bulk of his success. He was their highest wicket-taker for two years running since the 2015 season and by virtue of that earned his first India caps in ODIs and T20Is on a tour of Zimbabwe in June 2016. While that series may have been seen as an opportunity to blood new players into international cricket, Chahal was called up again into the Indian T20 line-up to face England in January 2017, and delivered in style in the deciding game: his 6 for 25 in that match in Bangalore was part of an England collaspse of 8 for 8, and the third-best figures till then in T20Is.
ESPNcricinfo staff

Yuzvendra Chahal IPL factfile

- Signed by Mumbai Indians in 2011, Yuzvendra Chahal featured in just one IPL match across his first three seasons (apart from Champions League T20 games) before he was signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (then Royal Challengers Bangalore) ahead of IPL 2014 at his base price of INR 10 lakh.

- Over the course of 113 matches across eight seasons, Chahal went on to become RCB's highest wicket-taker, but the franchise chose not to retain him ahead of the 2022 mega auction.

- In 2015, he earned an India cap on the back of a prolific second season for RCB, where he was their highest wicket-taker with 23 scalps.

- He followed that up with an equally prolific IPL 2016, where he was the tournament's second-highest wicket-taker (23) behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar. It coincided with RCB's inspired run to the finals.

- At the 2022 mega auction, Chahal was signed by Rajasthan Royals for INR 6.5 crore, and he made an immediate impression by winning the Purple Cap for most wickets (27) as Royals made their first IPL final since 2008; they finished runners-up to Gujarat Titans. That season, he also picked up a hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders at Brabourne Stadium.

- During IPL 2023, Chahal went past Dwayne Bravo to become IPL's leading wicket-taker. His record-breaking feat came at Eden Gardens, the scene of his IPL debut.