3 reasons why Ravi Bishnoi must replace Yuzvendra Chahal in the Indian T20I setup

Team India haven't experienced much success in the T20I format of late, with disappointing exits in successive T20 World Cups.

The Men in Blue are in need of a revamp, especially in the spin department. The 2021 T20 World Cup saw Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravindra Jadeja and Rahul Chahar being picked as the four spinners, while last year's edition had Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel.

Chahal, in particular, has been highly disappointing over the last few years. He hasn't been able to pick up wickets and has struggled to keep runs in check as well. Calls for the experienced leggie to be replaced by the talented Ravi Bishnoi are growing in both frequency and intensity.

Here are three reasons why Ravi Bishnoi must replace Yuzvendra Chahal in the Indian T20I setup.

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#3 Ravi Bishnoi has made an excellent start to his T20I career

India v Pakistan - DP World Asia Cup

Ravi Bishnoi has made an excellent start to his T20I career, coming up with impactful performances whenever called upon. The 22-year-old has played 10 matches in the format, in which he has scalped 16 wickets at an economy rate of 7.09.

Bishnoi has scalped at least one wicket in all but one game and has conceded more than 30 runs only once. He also has four two-wicket hauls and one four-fer, having bowled his full quota of overs in all games except the one in which he picked up four.

Bishnoi's IPL returns have been superb as well. His T20 numbers justify his necessary inclusion just as much as the other two points on this list.

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#2 Ravi Bishnoi is a unique bowler whose game is tailored to modern-day cricket

England v India - 3rd Vitality IT20

Leg-spinners who don't have an X-factor about them have found it difficult to succeed in the shortest format of the modern game. The boundaries and other cricketing constraints play into the batters' hands, leaving wrist-spinners with little room for error.

Ravi Bishnoi fits the bill perfectly and has all the elements to succeed in modern-day T20I cricket. He is quick through the air and doesn't give the batters time to size him up and come down the track. The leggie has a potent googly that is his stock ball and is adept at bowling to left-handers as a result.

Bishnoi gets excellent drift and spin in both directions, although he isn't a big turner of the ball. More importantly, he is capable of bowling at all stages of the innings.

Chahal, meanwhile, doesn't have most of these attributes. His slow, flighted deliveries have left his bowling without an air of mystery and he hasn't been able to adapt successfully despite being given ample opportunities. Speaking of which...

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#1 Yuzvendra Chahal has continued to let India down for years now

New Zealand v India - 2nd T20

Yuzvendra Chahal's numbers over the last few years in T20I cricket don't make for pretty reading.

Since the start of 2019, Chahal has played 45 matches, returning only 43 wickets at an economy rate of 8.4. A bowler who is in the team to entice batters into playing big shots has managed less than one wicket per game over the last three years - that's a damning statistic.

Chahal has zero hauls of four wickets or more in this period and hasn't bowled a single maiden. His average stands at a terrible 31.55. The 32-year-old has been decent in the IPL over the same time frame, but his T20I numbers clearly show that it's time to move on.