Yuzvendra Chahal: Biography| Wife| Early Life| Career| Education| Records
The spin wizard of the Indian cricket team Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the most impactful bowlers in the spin department of the Indian cricket team. The talented cricketer has not only made his name in one of the most popular sports in India (Cricket) but also in the strategic game of chess. He was the U-12 national chess champion and is now representing India in international formats in ODIs and T20s. So, how did a boy from Haryana, after playing a sport (Chess) that has no direct relation to cricket, make it this far, and what obstacles did he face in doing that? Let’s look at his brief journey.
Yuzvendra Chahal: Childhood and Life before Cricket:
Yuzvendra Chahal was born in Jind, Haryana, on July 23, 1990, to KK Chahal (his father) and Sunita Devi (his mother), and at the tender age of seven, he developed an interest in chess and started playing it. After representing India in the international stages and becoming the U-12 national chess champion, he quit playing chess professionally and started focusing on cricket, which he was playing alongside chess, but due to a lack of sponsorships in he turned himself towards cricket and started his career as a medium fast bowler but later shifted to spin bowling.
His father, KK Chahal, was an advocate when he was born, and his mother, Sunita Devi, is a homemaker.
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Yuzvendra Chahal: Cricket Career so far:
Domestic Career:
Yuzvendra Chahal represents his home state of Haryana in domestic cricket; he made his first-class debut against Madhya Pradesh in 2009, and since then he has been playing for Haryana in Ranji Trophy matches. His performance in domestic cricket was next to spectacular, as he took 34 wickets in the U-19 National Cooch Bihar Trophy. Chahal ended the tournament as the leading wicket taker. due to which he got the chance to play in the cash-rich IPL.
IPL Career:
Yuzvendra Chahal was included in Mumbai Indians in 2011, but he spent his entire season in the dugout that year. He played all the matches for Mumbai Indians in the T20 Champions League the same year, and he ended the season with a wonderful spell where he took 2 wickets for 9 runs in his 3 overs that helped Mumbai Indians defend the total of 139 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Mumbai Indians won the Champions League. The next two years, he played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL but didn’t get to play more than one game.
In 2014, he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore, and during that year he also secured the Man of the Match award. Later, he was the RCB’s leading wicket taker in two consecutive seasons, which led him to his international cricket debut.
International Career:
Yuzvendra Chahal made his international debut in 2016 against Zimbabwe. He was in the team for the ODI and T20 matches. He played his first ODI match against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, and in the debut match, he took his first international wicket. He made his T20I debut against the same team and opened his wicket account in T20s in the same match. In 2017, he became the first bowler of the Indian Cricket Team to take a 5-wicket haul in T20s. Later in 2019, he again showed the magic of his spin and took another 5-wicket haul, this time against Australia. He was part of the Indian team in the 2019 ICC Men’s World Cup, in which he took 12 wickets, but India couldn’t reach the final that year. In 2022, he took his 100th ODI wicket. Yuzi is yet to do his test debut for India.
Some Unknown and interesting facts about Yuzvendra Chahal:
- Yuzvendra Chahal is the first bowler in India to take a five-wicket haul in T20.
- He represented India in the 2003 World Chess Championship in Greece.
- He is the first player to represent India both in cricket and chess.
- Yuzi started playing cricket as a medium-fast bowler, but later he switched to leg spin.
- His bowling idol is the late Australian spin legend Shane Warne, and in batting, he admires Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.
- He was in a rumored relationship with Indian model and actress Tanishka Kapoor, but now he is married to Dhanashree Verma.
Yuzvendra Chahal: Controversies
There are various incidents that landed Yuzi in controversies and here are some of the most popular one:
- In 2018, a young girl shared some hot pics that show a woman in revealing clothes, to which Yuzi commented, “Nice one.” After seeing the reply, the girl took a screenshot, and the photo went viral on social media, but Yuzi clarified that it was his friend who messaged her unknowingly, not him, and that can be seen in the messages he sent afterward.
- In 2022, Yuzi, while playing for the Rajasthan Royals, revealed that a drunk Mumbai Indians player dangled him from the 15th-floor balcony, which was a scary event for him as he passed out due to fear. Later, other players controlled the situation, but the revelation done by him called out strict actions against such events.
Yuzvendra Chahal: Personal and Social Life:
He has two elder sisters, and talking about his married life, he married YouTuber choreographer Dhanashree Verma in 2020. His parents are currently living in Gurugram. He is quite active on social media and loves sharing pictures with his social media family. He is considered a guy with a jolly character who is quick to make friends.