In a match that held high stakes for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Yuzvendra Chahal delivered a spellbinding over that turned the game on its head, extinguishing CSK’s faint playoff hopes and reaffirming his stature as one of the IPL’s most cunning spinners.
MS Dhoni had top-edged his very first ball for four, and moments later launched Yuzvendra Chahal over long-off, sparking roars from the Chepauk crowd and evoking memories of Chennai’s once-impregnable fortress. With Shivam Dube—known for his explosive hitting against spin—joining Dhoni at the crease, CSK seemed poised to post a mammoth total.
But Chahal, operating under tough conditions that offered little help to leg-spinners—dew, a slippery ball, and only four boundary riders due to Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) slow over-rate—produced a moment of genius in the 19th over. His plan? “I wanted to play with the batters’ minds,” he said during the innings break. And play he did.
He began with a loopy leg-break outside off, deceiving Dhoni into mistiming a lofted shot that failed to clear the boundary. Deepak Hooda fell next ball to a similar delivery, caught at point. A misjudged call for two runs may have cost CSK Dube’s strike, but T20 matches often pivot on such slender margins.
Chahal then adjusted his line and pace. A faster, straighter ball rattled Anshul Kamboj’s stumps. On a hat-trick, he forced Noor Ahmed to stretch for the ball, completing the remarkable feat. While the victims weren’t all specialist batters, Chahal’s variation and accuracy dismantled CSK’s lower order in just four deliveries.
“We didn’t play the last four balls and lost four wickets in the second-last over—that made the difference,” Dhoni admitted after CSK’s four-wicket defeat. PBKS coach Ricky Ponting echoed the sentiment, saying, “That over put the brakes on them. They could have scored 210 or 220.”
Chahal’s spell—3 overs, 32 runs, 4 wickets—was slightly marred by one expensive over, but his impact was undeniable. With 13 wickets in 10 matches, he now sits seventh in the Purple Cap race. Notably, he has bowled only 174 deliveries, with a strike rate of 13.38—bettered only by a handful of bowlers including Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel.
Chahal’s brilliance this season has extended beyond a single match. His 4/28 performance earlier helped PBKS defend the lowest total in IPL history against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). That night too, under heavy dew, Chahal outfoxed Rahane, Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh—transforming a game where KKR were 98% favorites into a 16-run win for Punjab.
Unlike many modern spinners who prioritize speed or googlies, Chahal dares to give the ball flight, often bowling under 80 kmph. It’s his control of line, length, and variation in pace that makes him uniquely effective.
At 34, Chahal remains the IPL’s most successful bowler with 218 wickets. With captain Shreyas Iyer and pacer Arshdeep Singh, he forms the backbone of PBKS, a team that invested ₹18 crore in him at the auction. “He’ll be even more vital as the tournament progresses,” Ponting remarked.
For CSK, the road to playoffs now looks bleak. For PBKS, Chahal’s artistry could well be the difference in their campaign.
