Yuzvendra Chahal's Second Wind in IPL 2025

Yuzvendra Chahal has once again demonstrated why he is among the best spinners of Indian T20 cricket. His path has been far from linear and yet he keeps proving his worth each time he takes to the field. Despite being the Indian record holder for the most T20 wickets with 377 wickets and India's leading wicket taker in T20 Internationals with 96 wickets until recently he has not played a single game in a T20 World Cup yet. In 2021 he wasn't even selected into the squad and the selectors pointed out that he bowled slower through the air than others, who were more suitable for UAE pitches. He was only selected in the backup squads in 2022 and 2024 but never finally selected.

Things changed when Chahal played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022. With R Ashwin to support him and no longer bowling at the diminutive Chinnaswamy Stadium he revamped his bowling. He finished the season as Purple Cap winner with 27 wickets which remains the highest by a spinner in a season. He transitioned from depending on googlies to a more traditional leg-spin method involving drift dip and turn to defeat batters. From bowling nearly 27 percent googlies in previous seasons he reduced the figure to mere 10 percent in 2022 reflecting an apparent shift in strategy.

Despite such consistent performances in IPL during 2022 to 2024, Chahal was not selected for national obligations and played for India for the last time in August 2023. Following the 2024 T20 World Cup, cricketers such as Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakaravarthy were chosen primarily because they bowl faster with average speeds of over 95 kph while Chahal's peak speeds are only about that figure.

This may have compelled Chahal to experiment with something new at the beginning of IPL 2025. He started the season bowling quicker than his normal pace and the performance wasn't impressive. In the first five matches he bowled at an average pace of 87.5 kph managed only two wickets and conceded runs at 11.13 per over. But then there was a turn-around in a game against Kolkata Knight Riders at Mullanpur where he took his side to victory in a low scoring thriller with the figures of 4 for 28. He reverted to his strengths and bowled slower with the use of flight and turn. In the four games following that match he took 11 wickets at an average of 9.72 at an economy rate of 7.64. His high point was a superb hat trick at Chepauk where he reminded everybody about his class.

This season the statistics strongly indicate how Chahal picks up more if he bowls low. While bowling at a rate of less than 85 kph he took eight wickets at 10.75 and an economy of 7.81. Conversely, bowling at speeds higher than 85 kph, he took just five wickets at a much higher average of 37.40 and gave away runs at more than 10 per over. He has also been different in his performance depending on the handedness of the batsmen. Against left handers in 2025 he has picked only three wickets at a rate of 55.33 while conceding runs at more than 12 per over. The majority of his balls to left handers were more than 85 kph and he could not keep them under control. Against right handers he has been in command taking ten wickets at a mere 10.80 with a much improved economy of 7.04.

Chahal has also displayed intelligent changes in pace against right handers by employing slower balls more frequently to mislead them. One such instance was Angkrish Raghuvanshi who was initially lured with a faster ball wide down the leg side and later bowled out by a loopy leg break at a mere 76.6 kph. Another such instance was Deepak Hooda who was taken in by the same ploy in Chepauk in Chahal's hat trick show. He then went on to bowl a flatter ball at 89 kph to mop up Anshul Kamboj and finished the hat trick when he got Noor Ahmad to miscue a slower ball.

Although Chahal might no longer be the first choice for every situation but he is a match winner when utilized intelligently particularly when being pitted against right handed batsmen. If Punjab Kings are to finally break their wait for a playoff place, Chahal is likely to have an important role to play. That he can change gear discover his rhythm and come back better than before is what keeps him among the most talented and reflective bowlers in the IPL at present.