'They gave us freedom as a bowler' - Yuzvendra Chahal's captaincy remark ahead of 2nd T20I against West Indies

Yuzvendra Chahal (Source: Twitter)

Yuzvendra Chahal, who has established himself as one of the top leg-spinners in limited-overs cricket, has played under multiple captains since making his international debut in 2016 under MS Dhoni. Chahal had a strong bond with Virat Kohli and later enjoyed playing under Rohit Sharma. The 33-year-old is currently playing under Hardik Pandya in the five-match T20I series against West Indies.

Ahead of the second T20I at the Providence Stadium, Guyana on Sunday, the right-arm spinner has said that his equation with whoever is leading the team remains the same. Chahal stated that Dhoni, Kohli and Rohit have given enough freedom to the bowlers and Hardik is also doing well.

"It's like a family where you have four brothers. Mahi bhai was the eldest, then came Virat bhaiya, then Rohit bhaiya and now Hardik. Equations remains the same. At the ground, we all want to win. They (seniors) gave us freedom as a bowler and Hardik also gives that space to the bowlers," he said.

What is in the future is not in my hands: Chahal 

Chahal's career has been strange in the past few years. Despite being India's leading wicket-taker in the 20-over format and a regular member, he was not included in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad. With the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup coming up, the Rajasthan Royals spinner is hoping for a spot in the team. However, he did not get a single chance in the three-match ODI series against West Indies.

Chahal commented on Kuldeep Yadav receiving a shot ahead of him, saying, "Team combination is our priority and it is not something new. At 7 we generally play Ravindra Jadeja or Axar Patel. Three spinners can only play if the wickets are spin-friendly. Kuldeep is bowling really well, he is in a great rhythm and that's why team is backing him. I keep working on nets so that whenever I get the chance I will grab it."

However, the Haryana-born cricketer doesn't worry too much about the future and instead focuses on the present. "I am here. I want to perform here. I think series to series. What is in the future is not in my hands," he added. Chahal claimed one wicket in the first match, conceding 27 runs in four overs.