File photo of Virat Kohli (left), MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma (behind).
Whether it's IPL or Indian limited-overs setup, leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has established himself as a trusted lieutenant of Virat Kohli with his strike bowling ability. The young spinner is always assured a place in the playing XI by the Indian skipper.
However, evident from the social media activities, Chahal also enjoys a strong bonding with Indian opener and Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma. And in an exclusive interview with India TV Cricket, the player revealed that the bond dates back to 2011 with both at Mumbai Indians.
"My bonding with Rohit Bhaiya has been since 2011 when I joined Mumbai Indians. My first IPL debut was all because of Rohit Bhaiya," Chahal said.
"He came to my room and said 'tu kal khelega'. It took me by surprise because the team already had two great spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Prgyan Ojha with Test cricket experiences.
"But he was clear he wanted to play me. You won't see a captain playing three spinners at Wankhede but he gave me the debut because of my performance in Champions League and practice matches."
He further added that the style of handling youngsters with care is similar to the captaincy of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni too and is now the culture of Team India.
"I think it's his way of being welcoming to youngsters and that is the same with MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli too as captains. They always are available for their players for both personal and professional issues. It is a culture of the Indian team now to make the youngsters feel welcome," Chahal said.
