Yuzvendra Chahal is closing on a huge milestone in the ongoing T20 series against West Indies series. He took two wickets in the first game and now needs only seven wickets to become the first-ever Indian cricketer to take 100 wickets in the shortest format.
The 33-year-old premier spinner failed to make a single appearance in the recent ODIs against the Caribbean side but made an instant impact with two crucial wickets at the Brian Lara Stadium. He conceded 24 runs off his three overs but was smashed for two big sixes by Nicholas Pooran.
Pooran has recorded 457 runs in 16 T20Is against India, the most against any opposition. He added 41 runs off 34 balls in the first game with the help of two sixes off Chahal. The Indian spinner has now conceded 119 sixes in his T20I career, the most by any Indian cricketer and second most after Ish Sodhi.
However, Chahal is looking forward to bowling Pooran in the second game on Sunday (August 6) and said that he will try not to concede any big shots while bowling to the former Caribbean captain.
"I love my battles against Nicholas Pooran. I have got him out a few times and on some other occasions, he has hit me for sixes. I try not to give him freebies or I know he will hit me out of the park," Chahal told broadcasters ahead of the second T20I on Sunday.
Chahal started with Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in a three-spin and two-pace bowling attack in the first game. He has struggled to find a place in India's ODI team in the recent game with Kuldeep and Axar getting preferred to partner Ravindra Jadeja. With the Asia Cup 2023 and the ICC World Cup 2023 lined up next, Chahal's performances in this series will be crucial for his future in fifty-over cricket.
