India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal achieved a huge milestone while playing in the first T20I against West Indies. In his four overs, Chahal gave away 36 runs at an economy of 9 and picked up two wickets as Windies posted a total of 207 in 20 overs. Doing so, Chahal took his total tally of T20I wickets to 52, which is the joint-highest by an Indian bowler in the shortest format, along with Ravichandran Ashwin. But while Ashwin had taken 46 matches to reach the mark, Chahal achieved it in his 35th T20I match.
Hetmyer’s 56-run knock which came in 41 balls was his first half-century for the Men In Maroon in the shortest format. With the fall of the wicket, Chahal got himself on level terms with premier Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah as the second-highest wicket-taker in the shortest format. The 29-year-old then removed skipper Pollard to keep Kohli and Co. alive in the death overs. Chahal cleaned up the swashbuckling batsman to take two wickets in three balls for the hosts.
The right-arm leg-spinner finished his quote of four over with two for 36. With his brace of wicket, Chahal also equalled Ravichandran Ashwin’s record tally of 52 wickets in the 20-over format for Team India. The leggie who was selected at the expense of Kuldeep Yadav for the series opener is now the joint highest wicket-taker for India in the shortest format with Ashwin. Chahal is also the fastest Indian to scalp 50 wickets in the 20-over format as well.
