Out-of-favor India leg spinner Rahul Chahar stated that former captain Virat Kohli's out-of-the-box thinking helped him dismiss Glenn Maxwell during the T20 World Cup 2021 warm-up game against Australia. Batting first, the Men in Yellow posted 152/5. The Aussie all-rounder looked threatening to take the game away, and it is at this point that Chahar was called into the attack.
The leg-spinner recalled how Maxwell was continuously hitting him for reverse sweeps. He then later had a word with skipper Kohli, and the two decided to change the field. The tweaking of the field made the all-rounder uncomfortable, and he was eventually dismissed, falling victim to Chahar in the fifth ball of the 12th over. While reflecting on this incident, he saluted the RCB icon for his smartness as a cricketer.
Also Read: These Indian Cricketers Beat Virat Kohli’s Yo-Yo Score — Their Names Will Shock You!
"We all know what he has achieved in life. He is a very smart cricketer. We had a discussion about the fielding position. Maxwell was hitting a lot of reverse sweeps. We wanted to have two fielders there, so he had to hit somewhere else, and he was not comfortable with that. So we did that, we took two fielders behind, he tried to hit somewhere else then and got out. That was his smartness," he said in an exclusive interview with Filmygyan. (34:43)
In his stop-gap international career, Rahul Chahar made his debut under Kohli's captaincy in 2019 against the West Indies. However, chances came few and thin, as other spinners like Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav have gone to cement their place in the white-ball formats. Overall, Chahar has featured in just one ODI and six T20Is so far, with his last appearance coming in 2021.
Rahul Chahar opens up about his experience of playing under Virat Kohli
With only seven international games under his belt, Chahar is seeking more consistent opportunities. Recently, he described his experience of playing under Kohli. The 28-year-old said that the legendary batter's aggressive approach is only to the opposition and not for his teammates. The leg spinner further stated that Kohli often fiercely stood by his players and backed them to the core.
Also Read: After RCB, Virat Kohli opens up about Bengaluru stampede: Your loss is our story
"His aggression is always towards the opposition, not towards his own players. He is very supportive. He is never negative, always talks about the future. He tells us to be chill and to express ourselves, saying he is standing behind us. He tells us to lure the batters to take risks, no problem if we get hit. In that way, both Rohit and Virat are very supportive," he said. (35:22)
"Whenever we are in the dressing room, everyone is on the same page. No one is senior and no one is junior. When the captain is aggressive, you know that he is with you," he added.
Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah, Gautam Gambhir Slammed Irfan Pathan Questions, "Will Cummins Miss Ashes?"
Chahar last featured in the IPL 2025 for SRH, where he just played in one game. The leg spinner will be hoping he gets consistent opportunities in the future, as tries and make a comeback in the Indian Team.
