Royal Challengers Bangalore leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal said he is relishing the challenge of competing in the ongoing high-scoring edition of the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates.
In a virtual media interaction on Thursday, Chahal spoke about his role in the RCB team and how he is adapting to the conditions on offer in IPL 2020.
“I’m happy if I bowl my four overs and go wicket-less but concede just 15-16 runs. That means the batsmen didn’t take chances against me. My spell will help build pressure and my teammates can get wicket-taking opportunities at the other end,” said Chahal.
The 30-year-old said the mood in the RCB camp is upbeat this season and they’re hopeful of making it to the playoffs, having finished eighth, sixth and eighth in the last three seasons.
“We have a much more balanced team this year, especially with the bowling. There is a different feeling in the group as compared to previous seasons. We haven’t had this feeling since the 2016 season. There’s a positive energy in the group,” he said.
Chahal also said he has added a “quicker googly” to his leg-spin repertoire after exchanging notes with RCB teammate Adam Zampa of Australia.
Zampa joined the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers last month after replacing fellow Australian Kane Richardson for the 13th edition of the T20 tournament being held in the UAE.
Chahal, who has been with Bangalore since 2014, said he had learnt a few tricks from his fellow wrist spinner.
“When we go to the nets, we do discuss the wicket and our plan,” said Chahal.
“I used to bowl the slower googly and now I have added the quicker googly so it gives less chance to the batsmen to judge, and if he mishits it will be easy to get them out.”
A leg-spin bowler usually turns the ball away from a right-hand batsman, but the ball is called a googly when it spins the other way.
Chahal, who has played 52 One-Day Internationals and 42 T20I matches for India since 2016, said a leg-spinner brings more value in the shorter format.
He has claimed five wickets for Bangalore this season, with the Kohli-led side winning two of their three matches so far.
(With inputs from AFP)
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