Former Indian cricketer and all-rounder, Irfan Pathan, has recently given credit to veteran Mumbai Indians (MI) leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for his outstanding performance in the ongoing 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the first six games of the season, Chawla has already taken nine wickets with an exceptional economy rate of just 6.87, which is commendable considering the league has seen some huge scores this season.
Chawla, who was picked by Mumbai Indians in the auction for just Rs. 50 Lakhs, has proved to be an invaluable asset for the team, providing some crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs of the game. His experience and accuracy with his leg spin have troubled even the best of batsmen in the league.
Irfan credits Chawla as MI’s best bowler
Irfan Pathan, who has played alongside Chawla in the Indian team, praised the spinner’s performance and his ability to adapt to different situations. He also highlighted Chawla’s experience and his contribution to the team’s success so far in the tournament.
“Piyush Chawla is MI’s best bowler. He is showing all his experience and bowling in the right areas. Mumbai need to back him and for MI to do well, Chawla will have to be the highest wicket-taker in the TATA IPL.”, Pathan said while speaking on Star Sports ahead of Mumbai’s game against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.
Chawla was in top form in their previous game against the Punjab Kings, where he bowled exceptionally well, conceding only 15 runs in his three overs and taking two crucial wickets. However, despite his impressive performance, Chawla was not given the opportunity to bowl his fourth over, which turned out to be a crucial factor in Mumbai Indians’ loss to the Punjab Kings by 14 runs.
Chawla’s exclusion from the bowling attack in the fourth over was surprising, given his excellent performance in the game so far, and Mumbai Indians’ decision to go with other bowlers proved to be a costly mistake in the end. Had Chawla been given another over, he could have continued his excellent form and potentially helped his team to a victory.
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