Yuzvendra Chahal said something very honest about MS Dhoni’s last match for India. That match was in 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. India lost the game and Dhoni never played again. Chahal said he still feels bad for not doing better in that match.
Chahal Thinks He Could Have Done More
India was chasing 240 runs but couldn’t finish the game and got all out for 221. Dhoni made 50 runs but got run out at a very wrong time. Chahal was also in the team and didn’t bowl that good. He gave 63 runs in his 10 overs which was too much.
Chahal was the only bowler who gave runs with more than 6 economy. He now feels that if he did better, maybe things could have changed. He said this game still hurts him and he regrets not giving his 100%. He felt it was Dhoni’s last and he should have done more.
“It was Mahi bhai’s last match. I could have done better. I still regret that. I could have pushed myself a bit more, bowled a bit better, and leaked 10-15 fewer runs,” Chahal said in a podcast with Raj Shamani.
Dhoni’s Last Game Stays in His Mind
Chahal also said how quickly that match happened and he couldn’t think properly. “Sometimes you are in that flow, it happens so quickly that you don’t get time to think. I thought if I was calmer I could have done even better,” he told in the podcast.
He said he did try his best but it was such a big match so maybe he should have tried extra hard. “I gave my best but it was the semi-final, a bigger stage and you have to give your 10-15% extra.” That match was the end of India’s World Cup dream.
Only Met Dhoni After That in IPL
After that loss, Dhoni never came back to India team. He retired in August 2020. Since then, Chahal and Dhoni only seen each other during IPL. They didn’t play together for India after that day in 2019 World Cup. It was last game they were teammates.
Even for Chahal things didn’t go smooth after that. He was not picked in the team for 2023 ODI World Cup. That was a shock for many fans because he was a regular player. Chahal was out of the team even when he was bowling good in IPL.
Chahal’s Spot in Team Not Clear Now
Chahal was selected in 2024 T20 World Cup squad but didn’t get any match to play. After that also, he was dropped again. Right now he’s not in the Test team plans too. So his position in Indian team is not looking strong at the moment.
Now Chahal is just playing IPL and hoping for a chance. But the memory of that semi-final still hurts him. He feels if he had done little better, maybe things could be different for Dhoni and the team. That regret is something he still carry inside him.
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