Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Ravichandran Ashwin recently shared a funny story about fellow spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and his surprising confidence in batting during their time together at Rajasthan Royals. Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Champions Waali Commentary’, Ashwin revealed that Chahal often claimed he was a strong batter and even wanted to open the innings in IPL matches.Ashwin said Chahal once told him he had scored a century during his Under-19 days and believed he could handle pressure situations with the bat. However, Ashwin jokingly questioned whether Chahal had enough power to hit big shots.
“Chahal once told me that he used to bat during his U19 days and even claimed to have scored a hundred back then. He said that in a high-pressure situation, if the team needs someone to step up, they should send him in. But honestly, my question is simple, ‘Where is Chahal going to find the power to clear the boundary?’” he said.Ashwin also recalled how Chahal regularly asked Rajasthan Royals management to let him open the batting. Since Ashwin himself was sometimes promoted up the order, Chahal would jokingly ask him to remove his pads so he could go instead.“We spent three seasons together at the Rajasthan Royals. I have noticed that wherever he goes, he keeps asking to open the batting. I remember padding up because RR used to send me up the order. But Chahal would walk up and tell me to take the pads off because he wanted to go out to bat instead,” Ashwin said.He also joked about Chahal facing fast bowlers like Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj, saying, “More importantly, he might end up hurting himself against that kind of pace.”
