Cricket is my life: Yuzvendra Chahal

A Leg-spinner is the heart of a team. However, Yuzvendra Chahal would have been the heart of any team irrespective of the skill he pursued. The Royal Challengers Bangalore leg-spinner in a recent interview on Cricbuzz, opened about his cricket, life and much more.

“I think you can say cricket is my life. Whatever I am today is because of cricket. Wherever I have reached today, it’s because of cricket. The world would not have known me if not for cricket. If I don’t play for some time due to injury of rain breaks, even then I want to play. Because something that I have been doing for 20 years, if that goes away it feels really strange. I don’t think I can live without cricket now. And when I leave, I will miss this game a lot.”

Not just a brilliant spinner, Yuzi, as he is fondly called by his teammates, is also known for his pranks and humour.

“I want to keep the atmosphere lively because some will perform, some won’t. So, I feel nice when I am able to lift the spirit of someone who is down. So that they forget what’s worrying them and have fun, said Yuzi in the interview.”

Speaking about his cricketing journey, Chahal revealed that it all started early in his career, “When I was 10, I played Under-14 for Haryana. That’s where the journey started. I captained the Under-17 (Haryana) side and also the Under-19 team. I was also the captain for Under-25 for two matches. Made my Ranji debut in 2009 against Madhya Pradesh; that’s all how it started.”

“I think for a year I was the highest Under-19 wicket-taker in India. That’s when I thought I have the talent to do all this. Then I played Ranji Trophy and T20s and felt that I can play at this level and my talent shouldn’t go wasted. That improved my focus,” Chahal added.”

But the Chahal that the world is used to seeing today was not always as carefree and lively. “I was shy at first. I used to think if I get Man of the Match I will have to be on camera. I was so shy that I would go into my room every time relatives visited.”

For a leg-spinner who is always trying to create an easy environment for his teammates, Chahal comes as a surprise after he has taken a wicket. The 29-year-old said that the aggression comes naturally while bowling to him. Reminiscing his early days from the IPL, he said, “When I played IPL in 2014, I used to abuse batsmen after getting them out. I controlled that later. If you are properly involved in the game, the aggression comes naturally. It’s not for the camera, it comes on its own.”