Royal Challengers Bangalore opener Aaron Finch has called Yuzvendra Chahal an ultimate professional as the leg-spinner propelled the franchise to victory in their opening clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad despite the dew factor.
Chahal was brilliant for RCB picking up figures of 3-18. At one stage, SRH seemed to be cruising to victory and needed just 43 runs off the last five overs with 8 wickets in hand and a well-set Jonny Bairstow at the crease.
But Chahal turned the game completely on its head by removing both Bairstow and Vijay Shankar off consecutive deliveries. This triggered a sensational SRH batting collapse which saw them lose 8 wickets for just 32 runs.
"He (Yuzvendra Chahal) has practiced a lot and he is very experienced in international cricket where you are playing in a lot of conditions with heavy dew as well. He is an ultimate professional and he got the job done under pressure which was outstanding," Aaron Finch said after the game.
I loved opening with Devdutt Padikkal: Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch also heaped praise on RCB debutant Devdutt Padikkal, who scored a brilliant half-century and showed exactly why he is rated so highly in the domestic circle.
Padikkal scored 56 runs off just 42 balls including 8 fours and took the pressure off Finch to score quick runs.
"Brilliant young player, he (Padikkal) has shown it over the last couple of years in domestic cricket, U-19 cricket, how talented he is and how destructive he could be at the top of the order. I loved opening with him," Aaron Finch said.
Finch's advice to Padikkal is to back his attacking game and get RCB off to flying starts consistently. He is happy to play second fiddle to the youngster and believes that they will have a successful opening partnership this season.
"He is such an exciting young player. My advice is to play your natural game and if you are feeling it against the particular bowler keep going. Play nice and smart, and then my role changes a little bit," he further added.
RCB will now play their next game against the Kings XI Punjab on Thursday at Dubai.
Check the IPL 2020 purple cap list here.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
