"Chahal Not A Better Bowler Than Vipraj?" Ex-Star Baffled By PBKS' Plan

Former India players Wasim Jaffer and Piyush Chawla questioned Punjab Kings' move of bringing Yuzvendra Chahal too late into the attack during the side's IPL 2025 match vs Chennai Super Kings at Mullanpur on Tuesday. CSK were chasing a target of 220 in the game and Chahal was surprisingly introduced in the 17th over. The leg-spinner, who is the highest wicket-taker in the history of IPL with the tally of 206, got only one over during the entire CSK innings.

Chahal was kept off the attack as it seemed PBKS didn't want to use the leg-spinner against the left-handed batters of CSK. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, two left-handed batters, started the innings for the five-time champions. Ruturaj Gaikwad, a right-handed batter, came after Rachin's departure, but his innings could last for just one off three balls. Gaikwad's wicket saw Shivam Dube, another left-handed batter, coming to the crease. Dube got out in the 16th over and only after that Chahal was brought in to bowl as next came right-handed batter MS Dhoni.

"Vipraj Nigam got Shivam Dube out in the previous game. So you are saying Yuzvendra Chahal is not a better bowler than Vipraj? I mean it's in the hindsight, but if he gets him out when he comes to bowl to Shivam Dube at the start, he breaks open the game," Jaffer said on ESPN Cricinfo.

Notably, leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam of Delhi Capitals had dismissed Dube in CSK's game before the latter team faced PBKS.

"I did not like it to be honest. People talk a lot about match-ups. But, he is somebody who is the highest wicket-taker in this league. He got the majority of his wickets on the most difficult ground. Two left-handers at the crease it is okay, he can bowl the wrong'un as well. If Dube takes him for one or two sixes, but you get his wicket at that time, then that pushes CSK more on the backfoot," Chawla said.