Yuzvendra Chahal has revealed that Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers suggested he bowl a googly first up to Vijay Shankar, who failed to read the variation and was dismissed, as Sunrisers Hyderabad collapsed from 121-2 to 153 all out to lose their opening IPL 2020 encounter against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Jonny Bairstow’s 43-ball-61 had placed SRH in a comfortable position in reply to RCB’s 163, but Chahal’s twin strikes, including the Englishman’s scalp apart from Shankar’s, turned the match on its head.

Chahal was named the Player of the Match for his 3-18, and he revealed there was a suggestion from Kohli and de Villiers that helped him hugely. “When I bowled to Pandey I had the cover fielder back, so maybe he thought I’ll bowl outside off stump,” Chahal told Star after the match. “But that ball, I bowled on the stumps.

“For Bairstow, I knew that we need his wicket that over to come back into the game, even if I go for runs. That’s why I bowled it a bit fuller, but a bit on the legside, because it is very hard to hit from there since the ball is turning. And when Vijay (Shankar) came, Virat bhaiyya and AB sir came up to me, and we decided that the first ball will be a googly.”

Kohli, the RCB captain, heaped praise on the leg spinner for his match-winning performance. “We kept our composure tonight,” Kohli told Star. “When they needed 43, I think off five, we just had a chat in the middle saying, ‘No shoulders dropping till the last run is scored. The game can change anytime.’ And Yuzi comes in, the strike bowler that he’s been for us, and changes the game completely in that over.

“Not many other spinners got too much out of the pitch, but tonight he showed that if you have skill in the wrist, you can get purchase on any track. That’s why he bowls well in Bangalore too. The dew was a big factor tonight, the pitch was decent to bat on in the second half, I thought, much better than the first half. But the way he came in, backed his skill and got the ball to turn and bowled attacking lines. He was the one who changed the game.”

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Royal Challengers BangaloreRajasthan Royals Indian Premier LeagueVirat KohliGlobal T20 LeaguesAb De VilliersYuzvendra Chahal