‘I Bowled Wrong Deliveries, But…’: IPL Star Piyush Chawla Shares 22-Wicket Haul Secret

For someone who was not in the scheme of things for Indian cricket, and was not even picked in the 2022 edition of the IPL, Piyush Chawla’s resurgence in the IPL 2023 with 22 wickets for Mumbai Indians, sealing a playoff spot for the team, is a remarkable feat. In his mid-30s, the leg spinner who was once touted as the sharpest wrist spinner among the lot bowled his usual stock balls but managed to bother batters throughout. In an exclusive interview to ABP Live, the MI star shared insights into his successful campaign and the motivations behind his return to cricket after a gap.

Chawla credited his performance to the element of surprise he introduced with his deliveries. “Batters are predicting my usual deliveries like googlies and wrong ones. Let’s take the example of the great Dale Steyn. Everyone knows that he will run fast and swing the ball, and yet he gets wickets. In the same manner, I bowled my wrong ones, but blended them up with slight variations, and hence I got the result.”

The reason why he thought of starting to play cricket again was his son, Advik. Recalling his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) days, Chawla explained: “Advik used to come to watch the game when I was playing for KKR, and at that time, he was barely three years old. He never used to understand the game; he only used to come and enjoy the atmosphere. After a while when he started understanding the game, I was not playing… Being a part of the IPL for the last 14 years, and then the time came when I was not a part of it.”

He added: “There were a lot of things going on in my mind as to what to do, whether I should continue or not. But then my family told me now my son understands the game so just give it one more push for him. That is how it all started and I made a comeback. I started training and then I was picked by Mumbai Indians.”

Powerplay, Death Over Strategies, Commentary And Playing In State Camps

Speaking to ABP Live, Chawla also reflected on his bowling strategies in powerplay and death overs in the IPL. He emphasised how he trusted himself to bowl in good areas. He acknowledged the added pressure in those crucial phases but highlighted his experience in handling powerplay overs, having bowled them during his tenure with KKR.

“…there is not much difference when you bowl in the powerplay or death overs. I just back myself to bowl in good areas. However, it’s not that easy to bowl in powerplay and death overs as there is a lot of pressure on you, but in the middle overs you can bowl freely. Specifically talking about powerplay overs, I have been doing that for a long time now. When I was playing for KKR, I used to bowl one or two overs in powerplay, so I am used to it.”

During the previous IPL season, Chawla took up a commentary role when he wasn’t picked by any team. He described it as a valuable learning experience and an opportunity to stay involved in the game.

“When I was not picked last year, I had no idea as to what I should do. But then I got a wholesome offer from Star Sports for doing commentary. Rather than doing nothing, I opted to take up commentary…. It was a good learning experience and I enjoyed doing that,” said the 34-year-old.

Chawla expressed gratitude to Mumbai Indians, which picked him at the IPL Auction 2023 for Rs 50 lakh, for their support and mentioned the training they provided. “To be honest, Mumbai Indians has always been very supportive as they sent me to South Africa for training, and then after that, I played domestic tournaments like Vijay Hazare, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. I went on to play in the DY Patil League also. I also joined the Mumbai camp almost a month prior to the IPL 2023. I had played a decent amount of cricket before coming in the IPL 2023.”

The leg-spinner acknowledged the significant role played by his domestic team, Gujarat, especially former India cricketer Parthiv Patel, who encouraged him to participate in more games. Chawla credited the state camps for their positive impact on his performance. “When I decided to play for Gujarat, it was Parthiv Patel who pushed me and encouraged me to take part in more games. Since I have played domestic cricket for 18-19 years, I never liked to go to state camps, but this year Parthiv convinced me to come and attend all the camps. But eventually after taking part in all the camps, I realised that it really helped me a lot. When you go to a camp, even if you do not want to do something, you do it.”

Going With The Flow, One Step At A Time

Although his outstanding performances raised expectations of a comeback in the longer formats, Chawla clarified that he currently has no plans to play red-ball cricket, given his absence from the Ranji Trophy for the past two seasons. “I am not really in a mood to play the longer formats of the game,” he said.

Commenting on the ongoing WTC Final between India and Australia being played at The Oval in London, Chawla expressed his excitement and hoped for an Indian victory. “It’s a big stage and you know making it into the WTC finals is a great achievement. This year we would want India to clinch the title by defeating Australia.”

Praising Indian skipper Rohit Sharma’s leadership, Chawla highlighted their longstanding camaraderie. He commended Rohit’s supportive nature and his dedication to helping struggling teammates improve their performance.

“I have a very good understanding with Rohit as we have played a lot of cricket together from junior level. As a skipper, he is very supportive, sometimes he even goes out of the box to support his teammates. I have seen him a lot of times sitting with the players, talking about the game, and especially with those players who are not performing well,” he shared.

Looking ahead, Chawla said he is focused on the present and not thinking about the future. “Probably you will see me sitting at my home in the coming 2-3 years. I am not thinking about my future, just taking one step at a time.”

While he acknowledged the pride of representing his country, he left his future in the hands of destiny.

“That is something that is not under my control so I am just going with the flow, following the process. Obviously, it’s a pride to represent your country and if at all the opportunity comes, will definitely look into it,” he signed off.