Yuzvendra Chahal revealed that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli backed him during his career. He said, “If I got selected, I think Virat bhaiya and Rohit bhaiya had a big hand in it.” Chahal also discussed his World Cup snub and his strong desire to wear the Indian jersey again.
He felt that the 2017-19 period offered him the best chance to break into the Test side. However, the presence of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav made things difficult.
“It will stay with me my whole life. I really felt that, yes, I could bowl 35 or 40 overs, though looking at my physique, people didn’t think I could,” he said.
“Rohit bhaiya told me that, man…. I want you; let’s see about the rest of the selection committee. Virat bhaiya also had a huge role in it. If I got selected, I think Virat bhaiya and Rohit bhaiya had a big hand in it.”
He particularly pointed to the inflation in powerplay scoring rates since the rule was introduced. “Today, you don’t score less than 70 in six overs, and even then, they say, ‘We are 10 runs short.’”
“Rohit bhai told me, ‘We need a batsman up to number eight. We are going for that.’ At that time, in the Asia Cup too, I think they went with an extra fast bowler. So Rohit bhai had clearly told me that, ‘We want to see a fast bowler here because the World Cup is coming up.’ So that was clear to me.”
“Definitely, that’s why I left one thing so that I could work even harder on the other. Money, touch wood, is enough to get through life. But wearing that Indian jersey again, there will be no greater feeling than that.
“The dream is very much alive. The dream is not going anywhere. Otherwise, I would have retired from all formats.”
“No, absolutely, I deserve it. That is why I got it,” Chahal said when asked if he felt overvalued. He also questioned the disparity in the treatment of Indian and overseas players in the league. “If an outside player comes and gets 18-20 crore, no one talks about them. If an Indian player gets it, then a separate narrative starts.”
“Getting hit for three in three for the first time, you do feel a bit shaken. So, Virat bhai was at long-on; he came up and said, ‘It’s alright, let them hit sixes; we’ll see.’”
He subsequently got the better of Raina. Chahal believes it was a reward for his courage despite being subjected to such an onslaught. “If I had tried to play it safe, I probably would have been hit for six sixes.”
“When he gave me feedback, I thought, if he is finding it difficult, if such a great batsman can’t do it, then it must be difficult for others.”
“I got scolded once, when I took six wickets in that match against England. I went numb, then Raina bhaiya came from behind and said, ‘Hey, forget it, don’t worry.’”