Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up on being dropped from India’s squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup. The spinner had been in good form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that year, which was held in the UAE just a month before the World Cup. Chahal said that he was “the saddest” when he was not picked for the squad. He had been a regular member of the Indian team for the past few years and had been one of the team’s most successful bowlers in the shortest format.
Yuzvendra Chahal said that he was “feeling strange” because Virat Kohli, who was the captain of India at the time, was also the captain of his IPL team, Royal Challengers Bangalore. “I never ask anyone why I was not picked,” Chahal said. “Have never asked.”
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Kohli had said that the decision to drop Chahal and choose young Rahul Chahar was a “difficult and challenging call”. He said that Rahul Chahar bowls with pace and that the wickets in the UAE would be slow, so he thought that the younger spinner would be a better option.
Yuzvendra Chahal said that he was able to deal with the disappointment of being dropped thanks to his wife. “She made me realize that what’s happened has happened, but my team (RCB) needs me for the seven matches that are remaining,” he said. “Just prove yourself. She told me to remove all my anger on the ground – in the sense that just go and perform. I realized she is right. Then, I took out my anger and frustration on the ground. But yeah, that was the saddest phase.”
Chahal ended up taking 18 wickets in the 15 games that he played in the IPL that season. He said that he was “proud” of the way that he responded to being dropped and that he was “happy” that he was able to help RCB reach the playoffs.
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Chahal’s performance in the IPL after being dropped from the T20 World Cup squad showed that he is a top-class bowler who can perform even under pressure. He is a valuable asset to the Indian team and will be hoping to make a strong comeback in the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.
