Yuzvendra Chahal draws similarities between the leadership of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

There is a lot to admire about Yuzvendra Chahal. Apart from him being a right-arm leg-spinner whose precocious skills has won India many games, it is his temperament and character in pressure situations where he is not afraid to toss the ball up without the fear of getting hit for sixes The right-handed wrist spinner has claimed more than 130 wickets in One-day and Twenty20 International cricket.

Chahal made his return to the T20 set-up in the recently concluded three-match series against Bangladesh. Chahal was uncharacteristically ousted from the West Indies and South Africa T20Is as India aimed to try new options. However, the recent series against Bangladesh once again showed the value that Chahal adds to the bowling department in the middle overs.

Chahal has played under both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. When asked about the experience and difference in a player under the duo, Chahal, in an exclusive chat with Sportstar said that even though the aggression of Virat is the differentiating factor, the thing that is similar between Rohit and Virat is both give enough freedom and liberty to their bowlers.

“They have a similar approach. Both of them give enough liberty to the bowlers. They back the bowlers to the hilt and give them the field placements they require, so there is not much of a difference. Maybe Virat is a bit more aggressive, Rohit isn’t. The thinking is the same — give the players the liberty and win matches for the team. They have always given me the opportunity to play freely, without thinking about anything else. That has always been helpful” Chahal told in an exclusive chat with Sportstar.

Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal set to reunite against the West Indies

In the past two years, the pair of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have emerged as the x-factors of Indian white-ball teams. However, following a dip in form and India’s penchant towards trying out spinners who could offer more with the bat, Kuldeep was benched in the past three T20I series before being recalled against the West Indies. Chahal opened up about his experience of bowling alongside other spinners.

“We are professional cricketers, so our job is to perform at whatever level we are playing. I played with Kuldeep for two years as a pair and there was a good bonding with him. I enjoyed bowling with him as we had a great understanding. But now that he is focusing on Tests, I am bowling with Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja), Krunal (Pandya) and Rahul Chahar,” said Chahal.

“It has been a good learning experience for me because, after two years, I am suddenly bowling with different people. It’s a good challenge, so I would not say that there’s any pressure. As a professional player, you need to perform in every situation and I am just trying to continue whatever I did in the last two years,” he added.