"Zyada sochna nahi, apne chaar ka quota khatam kar aur chill kar" - Yuzvendra Chahal reveals MS Dhoni's advice during his most expensive spell

Yuzvendra Chahal has revealed some insightful advice he received from legendary former captain MS Dhoni during his most expensive T20I spell in 2018.

The leg-spinner conceded 64 runs against South Africa in Centurion without picking up any wickets from his four overs. Heinrich Klaasen top-scored with a 30-ball 69 with seven sixes, helping the Proteas chase 189 in 18.4 overs. This was the costliest spell by an Indian bowler in the shortest format and the 10th costliest overall.

Speaking to Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube show "DRS with Ash", Chahal talked about how he was expecting some strategies from Dhoni when he called to talk to him between the overs. Instead, the 'keeper-batter simply came to admit that it wasn't Chahal's day, asked him to take it easy, complete his overs and "chill".

He said:

"Once, in a match where I got hit for 64 runs in a T20I in South Africa, and (Heinrich) Klassen had hit me all around the park, Mahi bhai had told me to come around the wicket. I did that and he hit me for a six over the biggest boundary at mid-wicket. Then Mahi bhai came to me and I said, 'Yes Mahi bhai, ab kya karna hai? (What should I do now?)'. He said 'Kuch nahi, mai to waisehi aagaya tere paas. (Nothing, I just came to check upon you) I know it's not your day, you are trying but it isn't happening. Zyada sochna nahi, apne chaar ka quota khatam kar aur chill kar (Don't think too much, just finish your four overs and chill).'"

Chahal added that the incident helped him realize the ebbs and flows of international careers and also how a bowler should react to such situations. He said:

"If at that time someone scolds you then your confidence level falls even lower. But he told me that it's just one match. He said, 'You did so well in ODIs, you won't do well in every match, others are also playing.' I also realized that in cricket sometimes you do well sometimes not and sometimes it's just not your day. I also learned that when it's not your day, you shouldn't try too much and instead be economical and give others a chance to take wickets by building pressure."

Dhoni retired in 2020 after playing 538 internationals for India. His departure even saw a dip in the form of both Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. But the pair have now started to rebuild their careers.

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"Kuldeep and I trusted Mahi bhai blindly" - Yuzvendra Chahal

Chahal further talked about how he and Kuldeep trusted Dhoni "blindly" and the 40-year-old, too, did 50 percent of their work by reading the pitch, assessing the batters and the best speeds and lines to bowl at.

He said:

"Kuldeep and I trusted Mahi bhai blindly. In 2018, when we had just arrived at the scene, one of the plus points of Mahi bhai was that he used to do the 50 percent work for us even before bowling. Either he would have batted on that wicket previously or he would have watched the pacers, analyzed the pace of the wicket and he used to know where the batsman will try to play after getting set."

The spinner added:

"So he used to tell us the good lines and speeds to bowl which saved us from the extra thinking or trying to bowl a couple of overs to see how the wicket his behaving. And then his field placements - we never had to do a lot."

Chahal and Dhoni could reunite for IPL 2022 if Chennai Super Kings sign him at the upcoming auction, which will be held in Bengaluru on February 12-13.