Yuzvendra Chahal races to 150 IPL wickets: Decoding his numbers
Rajasthan Royals (RR) edged Lucknow Super Giants by three runs in the 20th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Defending a target of 166 could have been out of reach for RR if not for their ace leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who took four wickets (4/41). In the process, he raced to 150 wickets in the IPL. Here, we decode Chahal's numbers.
Why does this story matter?
Chahal is a vital cog in RR's bowling attack, having delivered a number of match-winning spells in the past. Though Chahal made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2013, his career saw him rise to a top-tier cricketer with Royal Challengers Bangalore (2014-21). His sharp leg-breaks and unplayable googlies continue to reap wonders in the power-packed tournament.
Chahal's four-fer wins it for the Royals
Chahal's first prey of the evening was Ayush Badoni in the 12th over, who smacked a tossed-up delivery straight to Riyan Parag at long-off. He then trapped a well-set Quinton de Kock (39) on long-on, having bowled a bit outside off that was enough to tempt the latter. Two deliveries later, Chahal dismissed Krunal Pandya and later pocketed Dushmantha Chameera in the 18th over.
Chahal's IPL career in numbers
Chahal is only the sixth bowler to have touched the 150-wicket mark in the cash-rich league. Dwayne Bravo (173), Lasith Malinga (170), Amit Mishra (166), and Piyush Chawla (157) are the ones who rank above Chahal in this list. Chahal is currently tied alongside Harbhajan Singh (150) for most wickets in IPL. However, Chahal (21.34) has averaged better than Harbhajan (26.86) in the tournament.
Second-fastest to 150 IPL wickets
Chahal has become the second-fastest to reach 150 wickets in the IPL. He unlocked the achievement in his 118th inning. Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga remains the quickest to take 150 wickets in the tournament (105 innings).
Joint-best economy rate in an IPL innings
Chahal has been the recipient of the 'Player of the Match' on five occasions. Notably, Chahal has the joint-best economy rate in an innings in IPL (1.50). He attained the feat in 2019 against CSK at Chepauk. He cracked figures of 4-1-6-1. The leg-spinner shares this record with former pacer Ashish Nehra, who had pocketed the exact figures against PBKS in 2009.
A look at some other notable records
Chahal (21.34) ranks sixth among the bowlers with the lowest bowling average in the IPL (minimum of 40 wickets in the tournament). He is behind Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir, and Jofra Archer. Chahal has claimed three four-wicket hauls in his IPL career. He is tied alongside Anil Kumble, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Munaf Patel, Imran Tahir, and Umesh Yadav in this regard.
