ICC Awards: Yuzvendra Chahal Bags ICC T20I Performance of the Year Award

India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took home the ICC’s T20I Performance of the Year award for his stunning spell of six for 25 against England in Bengaluru.

The 26-year old’s incredible spell is still the best returns by an Indian bowler in T20I history, and the third best overall, behind only Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis, who took 6/8 and 6/16 against Zimbabwe and Australia, respectively.

Responding to India’s imposing 202 for six in the final match of the series which was also the decider, England were well on course to chase down the total, having raced away to 119 for two in the 14th over.

However, Chahal ran through the English batting lineup from thereon, as the visitors lost their last eight wickets in just 19 balls to lose the game.

On his IPL home ground, Chahal was given the ball in the powerplay by skipper Virat Kohli, and he justified the decision by dismissing Sam Billings for a duck in his very first over. However, it was the wicket of Eoin Morgan that turned the tide in India’s favour. The England skipper was looking set to give India a run for their money before Chahal sent him back for 40 and ended his 64-run stand with Joe Root. The leg-spinner then went on to dismiss Root too to put the hosts firmly in command of the proceedings.

ICC T20I Performance of the Year
??? Yuzvendra Chahal@yuzi_chahal has been recognised for his incredible haul of 6/25 against England in Bengaluru, bamboozling every batsman he came up against to seal the series decider!

More ➡️ https://t.co/KvABGSgsvu#ICCAwards pic.twitter.com/iF6MKo0KVw

— ICC (@ICC) January 18, 2018

Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes came and went next, as they tried in vain to find the boundary and Chahal claimed the sixth wicket when Chris Jordan danced past a regulation leg-break to be stumped. Courtesy of Chahal’s devastating bowling, England was all out for 127 from 119 for two.

Chahal was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series.

“I have a lot of faith in him, and he plays with a lot of confidence,” Kohli had said after the match. “He has a lot of skill, and he has the character as well.”

Kohli’s faith in Chahal has well paid off, as the leggie has become an integral part of the limited-overs side with his consistent performances.

Meanwhile, West Indies’ Evin Lewis was also in the running for the top award for his knock of 125 not out from 62 balls, including 12 sixes, when West Indies’ chased down 190 against India last July. New Zealand’s Colin Munro’s 109 from 58 deliveries against India was also impressive while Rashid Khan’s 5/3 versus Ireland, and Imran Tahir’s 5/24 against New Zealand had also put them in contention. But in the end, Chahal’s six for 25 trumped them all.