"That was his smartness" - Discarded Team India bowler reveals how Virat Kohli's tactic dismissed Glenn Maxwell during 2021 T20 World Cup

Out-of-favor Team India spinner Rahul Chahar revealed how he once dismissed Glenn Maxwell with the help of Virat Kohli's tactic. The incident occurred during a 2021 T20 World Cup Warm-Up fixture between India and Australia.

Batting first, Australia posted a total of 152/5. Maxwell put up a decent display and was batting well. Rahul Chahar recalled how the destructive Australian all-rounder was hitting him for reverse sweeps. He then discussed with the then-captain Virat Kohli, and the two decided to change the field.

The field change made Maxwell uncomfortable, and he eventually fell for the trap. Chahar had the final say and bowled him out on the fifth ball of the 12th over. While narrating the incident, he lauded Kohli for his smartness as a cricketer.

"We all know what he has achieved in life. He is a very smart cricketer. We had a discussion about the fielding position. Maxwell was hitting a lot of reverse sweeps. We wanted to have two fielders there, so he had to hit somewhere else, and he was not comfortable with that. So we did that, we took two fielders behind, he tried to hit somewhere else then and got out. That was his smartness," he said in an exclusive interview with Filmygyan. (34:43)

Rahul Chahar made his international debut in a T20I against the West Indies in 2019 under Virat Kohli's leadership. However, he has not played a lot for the Indian team. Chahar has featured in just one ODI and six T20Is so far. He last played international cricket in 2021.

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Rahul Chahar describes his experience of playing under Virat Kohli

While Rahul Chahar has not played a lot of international cricket, he described his experience as a youngster in the team under Virat Kohli. The 26-year-old expressed that Kohli's aggression would only be limited to the opposition and not his own teammates.

Chahar reflected that Kohli was supportive and positive as a leader, backed players, and stood by them.

"His aggression is always towards the opposition, not towards his own players. He is very supportive. He is never negative, always talks about the future. He tells us to be chill and to express ourselves, saying he is standing behind us. He tells us to lure the batters to take risks, no problem if we get hit. In that way, both Rohit and Virat are very supportive," he said. (35:22)

"Whenever we are in the dressing room, everyone is on the same page. No one is senior and no one is junior. When the captain is aggressive, you know that he is with you," he added.

Rahul Chahar was last seen in action during IPL 2025, where he represented the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). However, he featured in just one game, which was against his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI).