Team India and Rajasthan Royals’ leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is having another stellar season in the Indian Premier League. He is in sensational form and has been wreaking havoc, playing for Rajasthan Royals second time in a row under the captaincy of Sanju Samson.
Chahal was a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore for 8 years, however, he was released ahead of the mega-auctions in IPL 2022. Later, he was picked by the Rajasthan Royals at the mega-auctions, and in his first season with RR, Chahal won the Purple Cap as he emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the season (27 wickets).
Over the years, for team India and IPL, Chahal has played under the captaincy of various captains including the likes of — MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Sanju Samson.
Therefore, when he was asked to choose his favorite captain, it was difficult for him to choose one. However, he had a clear choice in Samson in the IPL.
Yuzvendra Chahal Named His Favorite IPL Captain
Speaking in an interview with the Humans of Bombay, Chahal nubbed Kohli, whom he played under for 8 years at RCB, and picked Samson as his favorite IPL captain as he said that Samson has provided him with the freedom he required and credited the 28-year-old for his growth as a bowler in the last one year or so. He said:
“I think maine, jitne bhi captains, teeno captains ke under khela hun, unse voh liberty mili hai as a bowler, jo ek bowler chahta hai. Chahe voh Mahi bhai ho, Virat bhaiya ho ya Rohit Bhai. Mujhe voh ek cheez mili hai (I think, all three captains whom I have played under, I have gotten that liberty that a bowler requires, whether its Mahi bhai, Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. So yeah, that’s the one thing I have gotten.”
He added:
“IPL mein favourite captain toh definitely, for me, Sanju. Kyunki mujhe voh literally Mahi bhai jaisa lagta hai, bilkul calm and chill. Jo meri bowling mein growth hui hai, at least 10 per cent jo growth hui hai last year voh Sanju ki vajah se hui hai. He told me, ‘you have 4 overs, just bowl, meri taraf se tu free hai, jo karna hai’ (In IPL, Sanju Samson is definitely my favourite. I feel like he is literally very similar to Mahi bhai as like him, he is very calm and chill. The 10 per cent or whatever growth I have had as a bowler in the last year, it is all because of Sanju. He told me, ‘you have four overs, bowl whatever you want to, you are free from my side’.)”
Meanwhile, Chahal is in a red-hot form. So far, he has picked 11 wickets off the 6 games RR has played so far.