Top 5 Bowling Performances of Rahul Chahar
Rahul Chahar’s career, both in terms of IPL and his international career, has not progressed in a way that he ideally would have wanted to. Though he is still just 20 years of age and has already lifted the IPL trophy, he was once hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket. Back in 2017, when he was just 17, Chahar was bought for Rising Pune Supergiant for INR 1.9 crores.
Many pundits expected him to set the stage ablaze, and get a place in the Indian team soon. But unfortunately, he only got three chances for them, and even in those games, he could only muster up a total of 2 wickets. In 2018, he saw himself stuck to the bench as fellow uncapped spinner Mayank Markande ran riots. But in 2019, we found a rejuvenated Chahar, who just like his brother Deepak, became a mainstay in the lineup of a very successful IPL franchise.
Let us have a look at the top 5 bowling performances of Rahul Chahar in IPL.
5. 1/14 vs Chennai Super Kings
Since Chahar hardly did anything impressive in the 2017 season, our list will consist of matches solely from the 2019 season. The first mention is from a very special match against Chennai Super Kings. It was the all-important final at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
Batting first, Mumbai scored only 149. In the run chase, Chennai lost Faf du Plessis early, but Suresh Raina and Shane Watson were starting to build up an intimidating partnership. Chahar broke the 37-run partnership by trapping Suresh Raina leg before wicket. That was his only wicket of the game, but he impressed with his economical bowling.
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4. 2/21 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Though Chahar has picked up 13 wickets last season, what is more, impressive about his statistics is that he has maintained a brilliant economy rate of well under 7 runs per over. The next mention on our list of top 5 bowling performances of Rahul Chahar in IPL is one such economical spell.
The match was against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the same venue where the final was held. Batting first, Mumbai once again scored a low total of 136. In the run chase, Chahar provided Mumbai with the first breakthrough in the form of Jonny Bairstow. He later added to his list in the 12th over, as he trapped the experienced Yusuf Pathan.
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3. 3/29 vs Rajasthan Royals
This is a rare occasion where Chahar’s economy rate crossed the 7 runs per over mark, but he made up for it with a 3-wicket haul. Batting first against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Mumbai scored 161 runs. Once again, Chahar provided them with their first breakthrough, this time in the form of Ajinkya Rahane.
Sanju Samson and Steve Smith then constructed a good partnership, but Chahar struck again and got the better of the former. In the same over, he dismissed one of the most dangerous players of the shortest format of the game – Ben Stokes. Despite his attempts, Mumbai didn’t manage to secure the win as another teenager in Riyan Parag played a sublime knock.
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4. 2/14 vs Chennai Super Kings
Chahar played an instrumental role in Mumbai’s fourth title triumph, which can be comprehended from the fact that two mentions on our list of top 5 bowling performances of Rahul Chahar in IPL is from playoff games. This particular mention is from the Qualifier 1 against Chennai Super Kings.
Bowling first, Rohit Sharma handed Chahar the new ball, and he paid his captain’s faith off in the form of Faf du Plessis’ wicket. His second wicket came way later, in the form of experienced customer Murali Vijay. But here again, more than his wickets, his outrageously amazing economy rate of under 4 runs per over stole the headlines.
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1. 3/19 vs Delhi Capitals
Arguably, Chahar’s best performance so far in IPL came against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Batting first, Mumbai Indians amassed a competitive total of 168. As he quite often does, Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma handed Chahar the new 0ball here as well.
Though he wasn’t immediately successful here, he eventually got his first wicket in the seventh over the innings, as he bowled Shikhar Dhawan. In his next over, he dismissed Capitals’ another opener, Prithvi Shaw. His last wicket of the game, and perhaps the most crucial of the three, came in the eleventh over, where he got the better of opposition skipper Shreyas Iyer. His brilliance helped Mumbai get the victory.
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