From having represented India in Chess at the junior level,Yuzvendra Chahal emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the current IPL with 19 wickets until the league phase while plying his trade for Royal Challengers Bangalore
Agencies
New Delhi
Yuzvendra Chahal has been selected in MS Dhoni's Team India for the upcoming ODI and Twenty20 series against Zimbabwe in June and it has been a wonderful journey for the Haryana legspinner from the chess board to Team India colours.
Besides being a successful leg-spinner in the IPL while representing Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chahal was a national junior chess champion at the age of 12. He is currently the leading wicket-taker in the ongoing Indian Premier League. With 19 wickets in 11 games at an average of 17.05, Chahal has been the leader of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team.
The Haryana leg-spinner's wonderful performance has been rewarded with a call-up to the Indian squad for the upcoming three-match ODI and Twenty20 International series against Zimbabwe.
However, Chahal is not only good on the 22 yards but he has also displayed his skill in the 64 squares of chess. He has represented India in the sport and has fetched laurels for the country as well.
Chahal's interest in the sport was developed at the age of seven and in a short while, he displayed his talent. In 2003, Chahal won the national chess championship and he represented India in the Asian Youth Championship in Kozhikode. He also featured in the U-12 World Youth Chess championship in Greece in 2003 and finished in 38th position. On FIDE's official website, he still has an ELO rating of 1946.
The talented legspinner said, "Chess helps me in plotting a batsman's dismissal. I try to be one step ahead, especially in T20 where the bowler has to think on his feet. When the batsman is going hard, I try to remain calm. My chess training helps me in staying focused with the job in hand."
Chahal has been making rapid strides in cricket since 2009. In the Cooch Behar Trophy, he picked up 34 wickets for Haryana in the 2009 edition and in 2011, he was selected for the Mumbai Indians in the Champions League Twenty20. In their second game, Chahal starred with the bat as he scored the winning runs to give MI a tense one-wicket win off the last ball against Trinidad and Tobago.
India will play three ODIs starting from June 11 and will round-off the tour with three Twenty20 Internationals.
