New Zealand vs India: Yuzvendra Chahal’s best score with MRF bat in fourth ODI amuses fans

One of India’s tail-ending batsman Yuzvendra Chahal said in a recent question-and-answer session that he wants to hit a six in international cricket which he hasn’t yet since making debut in 2016. The 28-year-old, however, made some contributions with the bat in the fourth ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton by scoring 18 not out, the highest for his team, even though India lost the match by 8 wickets. Chahal also made some news while batting by igniting nostalgia.

Chahal came out to bat after India lost their eighth wicket in the form of Hardik Pandya in the 20th over with just 55 runs on the board. His arrival on the crease drew some attention since he was carrying with him a bat that had the iconic MRF sticker on it.

Chahal hit three boundaries with his MRF bat

Tyre-makers MRF has had some glorious association with cricket as it endorsed some of the world’s best batsmen – be it Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. Though Chahal could not manage the much-eyed six, he hit three boundaries during his 37-ball unbeaten stay at the wicket. He had hit only two fours in his previous 38 matches and the 18 not out became his highest in international cricket.

The fact that Chahal was batting with a willow displaying the iconic sticker did not evade eyes of the social media. His performance also made many believe that he made good use of the brand. Particularly his second boundary whereby he pulled one from Colin de Grandhomme through square leg received a special appreciation.

India though had a forgettable day in the ground as they were bundled out for 92 by a spirited New Zealand bowling and the home team won inside 15 overs to make the series 3-1. India have rested regular skipper Virat Kohli after winning the series in the third match and on Thursday, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Mohammed Shami too missed out. Shubman Gill made his international debut but fell for only nine to Trent Boult who took five wickets to derail India’s chances of making the series 5-0.

The fifth and final ODI will be played in Wellington on February 3 and the three-match T20I series will follow thereafter.

Here are some of the reactions that the Twitterati came up with on Chahal’s special bat

Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.