Ravichandran Ashwin Shares Amusing Story About Yuzvendra Chahal's Batting Aspirations
A Lighthearted Memory from IPL
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] - On May 5, former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin shared a humorous story about spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who once claimed to have scored a century during his U19 days. Chahal often expressed his desire to open the innings while they played together for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Ashwin recounted this amusing anecdote during an episode of 'Champions Waali Commentary' on JioHotstar. Both Ashwin and Chahal, renowned bowlers in the IPL, were teammates in the RR squad from 2022 to 2024.
During the show, Ashwin reflected on Chahal's self-assured claims about his batting skills, humorously questioning whether Chahal had the strength to hit the ball out of the park.
“Chahal once mentioned that he used to bat in his U19 days and even boasted about scoring a century. He insisted that if the team needed someone to step up in a crucial moment, he should be sent in. But honestly, I wondered, ‘Where is Chahal going to find the power to clear the boundary?’” Ashwin remarked.
Ashwin also recalled how Chahal frequently requested to open the batting during their time at RR. At one point, Chahal urged Ashwin, who often batted higher up the order, to remove his pads so he could take his place instead. Ashwin expressed concern for Chahal's safety against fast bowlers like Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj.
“We played together for three seasons at Rajasthan Royals. I noticed that wherever he went, he kept asking to open the batting. I remember getting ready to bat because RR would send me up the order, but Chahal would come over and tell me to take off my pads because he wanted to bat instead. If he faces the new ball from bowlers like Rabada and Siraj, who will bowl for us? More importantly, he might get hurt facing that kind of pace,” he concluded.
Interestingly, Chahal has yet to score 1,000 runs in professional cricket across all formats, with his highest score being 48 in first-class matches.
Chahal holds the record for the most wickets in IPL history, having taken 228 wickets in 183 matches at an average of 23.18 and an economy rate of 8.03, with his best figures being 5/40. In his 152 appearances for Team India in limited-overs formats, he has claimed 217 wickets.