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Indian spin veteran Yuzvendra Chahal opened up on overcoming fear of bowling in bigger stadiums during his illustrious stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and bond with Indian legend Ravichandran Ashwin following his move to Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Chahal was roped in by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 18 crores in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction at Jeddah on Sunday. For Chahal, there was first a huge bidding war between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings and then between Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Eventually, he was roped in by PBKS for Rs 18 crores. Speaking in JioCinema, Chahal said, "Playing at the Chinnaswamy Stadium eliminated my fear of performing in bigger stadiums. I played with Ravichandran Ashwin for three years and learned a lot from him -- he's a legend. You always want the support of your fellow spinner because it's a team game at the end of the day. It's so much better when you have another spinner to help you out." Chahal is the chart-topping bowler in the league, owning most wickets by an Indian in T20is and by any bowler in the IPL. In 80 T20Is he has taken 96 wickets at an average of 25.09 with best figures of 6/25. Also in overall T20s, he has taken 354 wickets in 305 matches. Chahal remains the leading wicket-taker for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), even after departing in 2021 following a tenure that began in 2014. In 113 matches for RCB, he took 139 wickets at an average of 22.03, with a best of 4/25. Since joining Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2022, Chahal has helped the team reach the playoffs twice in three seasons. He is also the leading wicket-taker in IPL history, amassing 205 wickets in 160 matches at an average of 22.44, with a best of 5/44. He won the Purple Cap in 2022, his debut season with RR, securing 27 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 19.51, with best figures of 5/40. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction from Sunday to Monday is all set to be two of the most intriguing days of this year's cricketing calendar, with several international stars having entered the auction, records expected to be broken and the possibility of some unexpected crossovers. A total of 574 players have been shortlisted from an initial pool of 1,574 names. These players will go under the hammer from November 24-25 in Jeddah. The list includes 208 overseas players, 12 uncapped overseas talents, and 318 uncapped Indian players. (ANI)
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