Rajasthan Royals bowling coach Lasith Malinga said Yuzvendra Chahal showed why leg-spinners are considered as match-winners in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a brilliant 17th over in which he recorded the first hat-trick of the season. Chahal (5/40 in 4 overs) removed Venkatesh Iyer off his first delivery in the 17th over and then Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Mavi and Pat Cummins off the fourth, fifth and sixth balls to completely turn the match on its head and hand RR a close seven-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday night.
This was after Jos Buttler’s 61-ball 103, his second ton of the season, helped Royals scored an imposing 217 for five.
“Chahal has more international experience. He is the most experienced leg-spinner in the country and in this tournament. He showed how to control the skill. That’s more important for him going forward to prove he is good enough to play any competitive cricket,” Malinga said at the post-match press conference.
“Leg-spinners have more wicket taking options and he showed today how he can get wickets and changed the game in a single over. I think he showed all the leg-spinners that they are the match-winning bowlers in this competition.”
With six points from seven games, KKR are currently placed sixth in the points table and the Kiwi said they need stick together as a unit and keep pushing one another.
