Senior India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal made his County Championship debut for Kent this week. His first wicket for Kent came via a superb jaffa that toppled the off-stump of Nottinghamshire batsman Lyndon James.
Dropped from India’s ODI squads for the Asia Cup 2023 and the World Cup 2023, Yuzvendra Chahal had signed up for Kent to play in 3 first-class games in the ongoing County Championship in England.
He made his Kent debut in the CC on Sunday against Nottinghamshire in Canterbury where Kent batted first and scored 446 runs courtesy of England opener Zak Crawley’s terrific 156-run knock in 153 balls.
When he got to bowl for the first time with the red ball in a first-class game in England, Yuzvendra Chahal made huge waves with an almost unplayable delivery to dismiss Lyndon James.
The ball drifted in smoothly and pitched on the middle and leg on a good length with the batsman Lyndon James lunging forward in his defence. Lyndon James wasn’t up to the length of the ball and couldn’t smother the turn. It was a typical Chahal leg-break delivery.
The ball turned sharply after pitching, beat the outside edge of James’ bat, beat the pad and crashed into the off-stump. Yuzvendra Chahal got into his celebration mode straightaway upon taking his maiden County wicket.
WATCH: Yuzvendra Chahal’s jaffa to take his first County wicket
What. A. Delivery.
Yuzvendra Chahal takes his first wicket in the #LVCountyChamp pic.twitter.com/FnqLO5UPnF
— Vitality County Championship (@CountyChamp) September 11, 2023
Chahal didn’t stop there. He got on a roll, and further took two more wickets – those of Matthew Montgomery and Calvin Harrison.
The Haryana leg-spinner will feature in 3 first-class matches in the ongoing County season – he is expected to play in Kent’s remaining next home game vs Lancashire, and the away match against Somerset.
The 33-year-old has an experience of 33 first-class matches wherein he’s taken 87 wickets at an ordinary average of 35. This stint with Kent will give Chahal some time to gain experience in England conditions in red-ball cricket.
