HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAHUL CHAHAR: Rahul Chahar is one of the finest leg spinners in the modern cricketing circuit. The flamboyant Indian player celebrates his 23rd birthday on August 4.
Despite being regarded as India’s next big cricketer in the initial stages of his career, Rahul could not really cement his position in the Indian squad. He has donned the Indian jersey for just seven times and hasn’t got a chance to prove his mettle on the international stage since making his debut in 2019.
The 22-year-old has delivered some magnificent performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) attracting the attention of the cricket fraternity. Rahul debuted for the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2017 and flourished under the tutelage of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In 2019, he was acquired by the Mumbai Indians and became a mainstay in the roster of an extremely successful IPL franchise. Rahul currently plays for the Punjab Kings XI in the IPL and had a terrific 2022 season.
On his birthday, let’s take a look at some of the best performances of the leggie in the IPL:
3/29 vs Rajasthan Royals, 2019
One of Chahar’s outstanding performances came in the 2019 season of IPL against the Rajasthan Royals. The Mumbai side scored a total of 161 runs in the first innings but Rajasthan looked determined to chase down the target. Chahar did his best to contain Rajasthan, scalping three crucial wickets. His efforts turned out to be futile as Steve Smith scored 59 runs to take RR over the finish line.
2/14 vs Chennai Super Kings, 2019
Rahul Chahar was pivotal in Mumbai’s fourth IPL triumph in 2019. His accurate line and length was on display in the grueling Qualifier 1 match against Chennai Super Kings.
Mumbai decided to bowl first and Chahar was asked to take up the new ball by skipper Rohit Sharma. The young bowler restored his captain’s trust by clinching the vital wicket of Faf du Plessis. He then sent Murali Vijay back to the pavilion. Once again, it was his incredible economy rate of under 4 runs per over that drew the most attention, rather than his wickets.
3/19 vs Delhi Capitals, 2019
Chahar was absolutely unplayable against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in 2019. Mumbai Indians batted first and compiled a respectable score of 168 runs. Defending a modest total, captain Rohit yet again handed Chahar the new ball.
He deceived Shikhar Dhawan and knocked him over with a peach of a delivery. Chahar kept piling on the pressure and clinched the wicket of the inform opener, Prithvi Shaw. His most important wicket of the game came in the eleventh over, when he baffled the opposing skipper Shreyas Iyer and sent him back to the hut. His 3/19 efforts aided Mumbai to secure an important victory against DC.
3/25 against Chennai Super Kings, 2022
Chahar was in top form in the last edition of the IPL. He scalped a total of 14 wickets for the Punjab Kings XI. In their first encounter against the Chennai Super Kings, Punjab posted a competitive total of 180/8 in the 20 overs.
In response, Chennai was quickly reduced to 36/5 and were in a slump. MS Dhoni and Shivam Dube stitched up a partnership to steady the ship. As soon as Chahar came into the attack, he got the crucial wicket of Dhoni to expose CSK’s tail. He then cleaned up Dwaine Pretorius and Chris Jordan to bowl out Chennai for a mere 126 runs. Punjab secured the win by 54 runs and Rahul Chahar bagged his season’s best 3/25.
4/27 vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 2021
Rahul Chahar’s best IPL figures came in the fifth match of the IPL 2021 when Mumbai clashed against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Batting first, Mumbai managed to scamper through to 153 runs in the stipulated 20 overs. Chasing a stiff total, openers Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill got Kolkata off to a flying start.
Right when it felt like Kolkata was running away with the win, Rohit handed the ball to Chahar who absolutely bamboozled the batters. He dismissed Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan, and Nitish Rana to demolish Kolkata’s batting unit. Kolkata fell 10 runs short of the target, and Chahar was named Player of the Match for his outstanding figures of 4/27.
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