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Yuzvendra Chahal bowled just one over in Punjab Kings' match against Gujarat Titans on Sunday, conceding 13 runs without taking a wicket.
Gujarat Titans' Arshad Khan, left, interacts with Punjab Kings' Yuzvendra Chahal after the team's win during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings, in Ahmedabad, Sunday, 3 May 2026. (PTI Photo/Arun Sharma)(PTI)Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif questioned why Punjab Kings (PBKS) underused spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in their IPL 2026 match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Yuzvendra Chahal bowled just one over and ended up conceding 13 runs while not taking any wickets. Punjab Kings went on to lose the match by four wickets, with opener Sai Sudharsan top-scoring with 57 runs.
Mohammad Kaif on Yuzvendra Chahal being underused
“It surprises me to see a highest wicket taker of ipl history Yuzi Chahal bowl just one over against GT. Remember he has 228 ipl wickets in which 139 have come on the flat Chinnaswamy during his 8 years with RCB. Ok, the pitch had grass but Chahal is an IPL great he could have found ways to get wickets. Punjab needs to trust him more (sic),” Mohammad Kaif wrote on "X" after the match.
Chahal, who was acquired by Punjab Kings for ₹18 crore, has had a mediocre campaign so far, taking just seven wickets from nine matches.
The Haryana spinner is currently the all-time leading wicket-taker in the IPL with 228 scalps to his name. After the match, Punjab Kings all-rounder Suryansh Shedge said that the reason for limiting Chahal's bowling was that it was a two-paced surface.
“I think it all depended on the situation. We went into the game thinking we have to bowl more fast bowlers because that seven-and-a-half metre length was difficult to play. I think it was a bit two-paced because of the grass and the black soil. So I think that was the intention,” he said at a press conference after the match.
“Sometimes it was sticking, sometimes it was skidding through. So I think our bowling coach, just before the powerplay got over, he sent out a message to Vyshak saying that you should bowl that length, and you can see how well Vyshak bowled. So yeah, I think the planning was right,” added the 23-year-old.
Earlier, Suryansh Shedge top-scored with 57 runs as Punjab Kings posted 163/9 after being asked to bat first. However, that total wasn't enough as Gujarat Titans chased the total down in 19.5 overs.
Punjab Kings will next be in action on Wednesday, when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad.
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