Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain, Sanju Samson, has hailed the positive impact of Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on the team’s locker room, saying that the player is happy to be with the franchise. Chahal was purchased by RR for Rs. 6.5 Crores ahead of the 2022 mega-auction after being released by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The leg-spinner had a tremendous IPL 2022 season, taking 27 wickets in 17 matches with an average of 19.51 and an economy of 7.75, earning him the Purple Cap.
In their IPL 2023 season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), RR put up a massive score of 203 thanks to half-centuries from Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, and Yashaswi Jaiswal. SRH never looked like chasing down the total, and Chahal’s four-wicket haul, which included the milestone of taking 300 T20 wickets, restricted the opposition to just 131.8, giving Rajasthan Royals a comprehensive victory.
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After the game, Samson spoke about Chahal’s presence in the team, saying that his arrival was met with a happy smile, and his character brings people together. The RR captain also talked about how happy Chahal was to be wearing the franchise’s pink jersey and how his wicket-taking prowess would benefit the team throughout the season.
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Chahal has played in 265 T20s, taking 303 wickets with an average of 23.60 and an economy rate of 7.58, making him one of India’s most successful T20 bowlers. In the process of his four-wicket haul against SRH, he became the first Indian bowler to take 300 T20 wickets and joined his RR bowling coach Lasith Malinga as the joint second-highest wicket-taker in IPL history, with 170 wickets.
The Rajasthan Royals will now look to continue their impressive start to the season when they face off against Punjab Kings (PBKS). With Chahal’s impact on the team’s morale and his wicket-taking ability, the Royals are in a strong position to mount a serious title challenge in the IPL 2023 season.