OTD| India’s World Cup winner leg-spinner Piyush Chawla was born in 1988

The Indian leg spinner Piyush Chawla is celebrating his 35th birthday today. He was a part of the World Cup-winning teams in 2007 when India won the inaugural T20 World Cup, and in 2011, when India lifted its second ODI World Cup trophy. His international career was short-lived but he has been a regular feature in domestic cricket and is one of the highest wicket-takers in IPL history. 

Chawla made his first-class debut in 2005 playing for Central Zone. The leg-spinner didn’t have to wait much for his international debut as he played his first test match for India in 2006 against England at Mohali. Piyush soon made his ODI debut as well, against Bangladesh at Mirpur in 2007. His talent got him a spot in the squad for the 2007 T20 World Cup which India eventually won. However, he could not get an opportunity to make his T20 debut until 2010 when he played his first T20 international against South Africa in the 2010 T20 World Cup. 

Limited Overs Cricket – Piyush Chawla’s Forte

Piyush Chawla could not create an impact in Test cricket but was imposing in the shorter formats of the game. The leg-spinner represented India in 3 test matches, 25 ODIs along with 7 T20Is. His international career could not take off but he will end up as one of the highest wicket-takers in the history of IPL. Currently, he is the 3rd on the list of highest wicket-takers in the history of the biggest franchise league in the world with 179 wickets in 181 matches. 

Chawla has played for multiple franchises but his stint with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was most memorable as he helped the team to lift the trophy in 2014 and played an active part in the glorious campaign with 14 wickets. The leg-spinner is ageing like a fine wine and has improved his game with time. The last season was the most successful one for him as he picked up 22 wickets playing for Mumbai Indians (MI). He will continue to be an integral part of the five-time champions in the next season as well and the fans would hope for a similar performance from the experienced leg-spinner.