IPL 2025: PBKS' Chahal opens up on facing CSK veteran Dhoni and experience of playing under Iyer's captaincy

PBKS spinner Yuzvendra Chahal discusses his upcoming IPL clash against CSK legend MS Dhoni, playing under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy and his bond with Kuldeep Yadav.

Yuzvendra Chahal to face MS Dhoni

Punjab Kings (PBKS) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has opened up on playing against Chennai Super Kings’ wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni ahead of the IPL 2025 clash between two teams at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh’s Mullanpur on April 8, Tuesday. 

Chahal played under MS Dhoni’s captaincy for a year from 2016 until the latter relinquished leadership duties across all formats in January 2017. In the IPL, Chahal and Dhoni have squared off against each other 14 times, with the former dismissing CSK veteran thrice while conceding 100 runs at an economy rate of 7.14, demonstrating a competitive battle between leg spinner and seasoned finisher over the years. 

Having played under the captaincy of Dhoni, Yuzvendra Chahal has firsthand experience of the astute cricketing mind of legendary wicketkeeper-batter and knows how difficult it is to outsmart him on the field.

‘MS Dhoni knows how I bowl’

Speaking to the JioHotstar press room, Yuzvendra Chahal stated that MS Dhoni knows his bowling very well as the veteran wicketkeeper watched him behind the stumps while playing together for India. He also highlighted the importance of attacking when Dhoni is at the crease. 

“Mahi bhai has watched me bowl from behind the stumps for years. He knows how I bowl, what I think, and what I’m likely to do. I can read — maybe 2 or 3 percent — of what Mahi bhai is thinking," Chahal said.

"If he walks in between overs 1–10, we know we have to attack. But if he comes in the later stages of the match, we understand exactly what he’ll try to do. We plan accordingly. You can’t give him an easy ball — if you do, he’ll send it out of the park.” he added.

Playing under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy

Yuzvendra Chahal has spoken on playing under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer at Punjab Kings, stating that he gives freedom to every player in the team. He added that Iyer remains calm even in tough situations, where the opposition teams consistently score runs. 

“I know Shreyas really well — he’s a good friend of mine. He gives you a lot of freedom. You can approach him at any time. He’s very calm. It’s not like if the opposition is scoring runs, he’ll panic — he remains composed. He listens to everyone, he’s very open-minded, and I’m really enjoying playing under his captaincy.” the veteran spinner said.

Chahal IPL journey

Yuzvendra Chahal began his IPL journey with Mumbai Indians in 2011 and then, went on to ply trade for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals before representing Punjab Kings. Chahal played under the captaincy of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Rohit Sharma at MI, Virat Kohli at RCB, and Sanju Samson at RR. The 34-year-old had the most successful stint at Royal Challengers Bengaluru as he was the highest wicket-taker for the side, with 139 wickets in 113 matches. 

Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the most prolific bowlers in the history of IPL as he is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 206 wickets, including 6 four-wicket hauls and a fifer, at an average of 7.88 in 163 matches.

Chahal on his relationship with Kuldeep Yadav

Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were one of the most feared spinners, who tormented the opposition’s batting line-up with their impeccable control during their peak as a spin duo for India. They were nicknamed as ‘Kul Cha’ and formed a lethal wrist-spin partnership that played a key role in limited overs success for Team India from 2017 to 2019. 

Yuzvendra Chahal stated his bonding with Kuldeep is unbroken and expressed his happiness for him doing well in his career while hailing the left-arm spinner as ‘no.1 spinner in the world’. 

“I have fond memories of the term ‘Kul-Cha’ and my partnership with Kuldeep (Yadav). That bond will always remain special,” PBKS spinner said. 

“Kuldeep is doing so well right now — I’m really happy for him. He’s the best. In my eyes, he’s the No. 1 wrist-spinner in the world. Right now, it’s the IPL. We’ll see what the future holds.” he added.