How Yuzvendra Chahal is looping between an identity crisis
The diagnosis of a self-created split personality
Life for Yuzvendra Chahal went on as normal in the first half of this year’s Indian Premier League.
It was all sunshine and rainbows, taking 13 wickets averaging 20.38 at an economy rate of 8.83.
This was a season where the hitting transcended our imaginations, so life's all good for him.
A common wicket-taking method synonymous with Chahal’s bowling is the slower wide-line tactic.
He entices the batter to attack with width and lack of pace on offer, usually in the range of high 70s to early 80s KPH.
This season, he added something new to his repertoire: a faster wide-line tactic that tends to be over 90 KPH.
Nothing out of the ordinary, for in a format dubbed “the batter’s game”, you must always be one step ahead as a bowler.
But Chahal didn’t seem like his normal self in the second half of the season.
The media and commentators chalked it up as “a run of poor form”, but if you paid close enough attention as a viewer, you could tell he wasn't himself.
That's because he began looping between an identity crisis.
He had no idea on how to use his trajectories, taking just 5 wickets averaging 56.2 at an economy rate of 10.04 in the IPL's second half.
There was more variety in his speeds in the first half of the season compared to the second half, with his concentration in the 85-90 KPH range going up by 8.35%.
The identity crisis was most prevalent when he conceded 64 runs across 4 overs against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
They were at the forefront of the batting paradigm shift this IPL, and Chahal won't forget it anytime soon.
He bowled wide lines throughout his second spell, but with no clear-cut plan on his trajectories.
As the pitch map shows us, at no point did he commit to bowling either fast and flat or slow and loopy, a recurring trend across the season.
After getting hit, Chahal generally went very wide at a pace of under 85 KPH.
But when he didn't go as wide, the identity crisis is evident, particularly in his other deliveries against the RHB.
With his fast and flat trajectories, Chahal largely targeted the stumps, but he went spray and pray outside the line of the stumps.
One wouldn't be wrong to think that the two personalities played a game of spin the wheel in deciding who'd turn up on match day.
Fast and flat entirely one match followed by slow and loopy the next match irrespective of his figures, you can't say this isn't split-personality thinking.
And of course, having distinct personalities also meant his lengths were all over the place.
Chahal likely went shorter more often to bowl defensively given how often he was under the pump, but he was still trying too many things.
So how can Chahal stop looping between this identity crisis?
Simple: work with a bowling coach.
These are technicalities that can be corrected by working with one, but he clearly hasn't.
Sure, his spot is likely contingent on conditions this T20 World Cup, but when you explicitly state wanting to stock up on spin, you better have the cure to Yuzvendra Chahal's self-created split personality.
Thanks to @RishikeshwaranCA for computing the data