Chahal, who received his ODI cap from Dhoni back in 2016, has long shared a special camaraderie with the CSK stalwart
Pic: Screengrab/punjabkingsipl/Instagram
Yuzvendra Chahal found himself at the center of some light-hearted banter from his Punjab Kings teammate Glenn Maxwell after he proudly displayed one of MS Dhoni’s iconic bats ahead of their upcoming IPL clash against Chennai Super Kings on April 30.
Chahal, who received his ODI cap from Dhoni back in 2016, has long shared a special camaraderie with the CSK stalwart. Their bond continues off the field, as evidenced by Chahal acquiring a prized bat from the former India captain.
In the Punjab Kings dressing room ahead of the Wednesday showdown, Chahal returned gleefully clutching the bat and couldn’t resist showing it off. Maxwell, noticing the bat, quipped, “Is that from Dhoni?” Chahal responded with a bit of shadow batting, proudly saying that he intended to use the willow gifted by Dhoni during the match.
Maxwell, known for his wit, quickly fired back with a tongue-in-cheek remark: “You get subbed out in every game.” Adding to the humour, teammate Priyansh Arya chimed in with his own quip, “Some kid in Haryana is going to take this bat for sure.”
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While the dressing room echoed with laughter, Punjab Kings have serious business to attend to on the field. Currently placed fifth in the IPL standings with five wins from nine games, the side will be eyeing an important win to climb the ladder. They face a demoralised CSK squad that has struggled with consistency and has yet to find its optimal playing combination this season.
Chahal has been a standout performer for PBKS in the second half of the tournament. His recent form could pose a serious threat to Chennai’s faltering middle order. With his clever variations and sharp control, the leg-spinner will be crucial in tightening the screws during the middle overs.
Punjab’s opening pair of Arya and Prabhsimran Singh have shown promise, often providing brisk starts. CSK will likely rely on left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed to keep them in check early on.
In skipper Shreyas Iyer, Punjab have a composed presence in the middle order capable of pacing the innings wisely. However, CSK will look to counter with Afghanistan’s mystery spinner Noor Ahmad. South African all-rounder Marco Jansen adds balance to PBKS’s lineup, while Arshdeep Singh and Chahal will lead the charge with the ball in hand.
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