Yuzvendra Chahal becomes first bowler to claim 200 IPL wickets
Rajasthan Royals' star leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has scripted history as he has become the first bowler to complete 200 wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The veteran accomplished the milestone with his first wicket (Mohammad Nabi) in Match 38 of IPL 2024 against Mumbai Indians. Chahal has truly been a consistent performer in the tournament. Here we decode his stats.
200 scalps for Chahal
Chahal took just 153 games to complete 200 scalps in the competition. His average and economy rate are around 21 and 7.6, respectively. Last year, he displaced Dwayne Bravo (183) at the summit of the wickets tally. Chahal has six four-wicket hauls and a solitary fifer, which came against the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022. His only IPL hat-trick also came in that match.
Decoding Chahal's journey in IPL
Chahal made his IPL debut in 2013 for Mumbai Indians. He moved to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and served them until 2021. Rajasthan Royals secured his services for Rs. 6.5 crore in the 2022 auction event. The leg-spinner has been a formidable force in the middle overs, where he can restrict the flow of runs alongside taking key wickets.
Most wickets for RCB
As mentioned, Chahal served RCB for eight seasons and returned with 139 wickets in 113 games, conceding runs at 7.58. No other bowler has taken 100 or more IPL wickets for the franchise. Notably, the leggie went wicket-less in his only outing for MI in the 2013 season. As RCB released Chahal after the 2021 event, IPL 2022 marked Chahal's debut for RR.
Stellar numbers for RR
Chahal repaid the faith of RR management and bagged the Purple Cap in the 2022 season, claiming 27 wickets at 19.52. He was their highest wicket-taker last year as well, bagging 21 wickets at 20.57. The 33-year-old, who has raced to 13 scalps this season, now owns 61 wickets for RR. He is their joint second-highest wicket-taker.
