Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is a vital cog of the national team and his record in international cricket is impressive too. However, before emerging as a high-class bowler, the Haryana-born cricketer was a brilliant Chess player too. He even represented India at the World Youth Chess Champion. Many tout him to become a legend of the game. However, Chahal shifted his focus towards cricket later in his career. The leggie recently revealed the problems he faced while trying balancing the two games before deciding to concentrate on just cricket. Viswanathan Anand was My Idol, When I Used to Play Chess, Says Yuzvendra Chahal.

The RCB bowler said that both the games demand a lot of practice. Hence, trying to find a balance between the two at a time was certainly tough. “I played my first nationals of Chess in 1998 and at that time I was playing cricket as well. You can’t play both sports at the same time. For Chess, you need 10 - 12 hours of training and then 6 - 8 hours for cricket was getting very difficult. So, when I came back from the World Cup, I told my father I will focus only on cricket.” Chahal told former Indian cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath on the show Mind Masters by MFORE on Star Sports. Rohit Sharma Trolls Yuzvendra Chahal’s Fielding Skills in His Latest Instagram Video.

Well, Chahal’s decision certainly proved to be fruitful and he rose through ranks and is currently counted among the best leg-spinners about the modern era. Comparing the two games, Chahal also revealed how patience plays a crucial role in thriving in both the games.

“In chess, you require a lot of patience as every match is about 6 – 7 hours and you’re playing sitting at one place without speaking much. Similarly, in cricket, you sometimes bowl so well but don’t get wickets. So, you have to be patient and keep it in your mind that you are bowling well and you’ll probably get wickets in the next spell,” he said further.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 27, 2020 11:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).