'He did not lag behind' - Irfan Pathan praises discarded Indian star after PBKS vs GT tie

Irfan Pathan lauded Yuzvendra Chahal for his exemplary comeback to competitive cricket as he bagged two important wickets in the tense encounter between the Gujarat Titans and the Punjab Kings on Tuesday, March 31, in Chandigarh.

Chahal, who made his commentary debut during India's home series against New Zealand, took the big wickets of Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler to put the Titans in a tight spot. In the end, his spell of 2/28 in four overs proved to be a match-winning one as Punjab defeated Gujarat by three wickets, chasing down a 163-run target in 19.1 overs.

“In the first match, he did not lag behind. He picked up two wickets, both of set batters, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler. Overall, he showed his quality and made it clear that he is still very much in the game. Going forward, I will keep an eye on his economy rate, especially on flatter pitches, to see how he performs. But overall, it was a highly impressive day for Punjab’s bowling unit," Pathan said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Pathan also showered praise on right-arm speedster Vijaykumar Vyshak, who bowled a terrific spell for the Kings on Tuesday. The former India all-rounder was particularly impressed with Vyshak's ability to keep the batters guessing with his variations. The 29-year-old bagged a three-for and gave away 34 runs in his four overs.

“Vijaykumar Vyshak deserves a lot of praise for the way he used his variations. He was mixing slower ones effectively, seaming slower run-ups, using the knuckleball, and also making great use of the round-the-wicket angle. When you have a player like him, who is the least experienced compared to others in the attack, it stands out even more," Pathan said.

"Players like Xavier Bartlett, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, and Yuzvendra Chahal all have international experience. But Vyshak stepped up and made a strong impact, picking up three wickets. That makes the bowling unit look very solid overall. So, it was a fantastic day for him," he added.

You have to praise captain Shreyas Iyer for the way he rotates his bowlers: Pathan

India's ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer had a great day leading the Punjab side, and he earned special applause from Pathan for the way he used his bowlers.

“You have to praise captain Shreyas Iyer for the way he rotates his bowlers. Around the 15th over, he brought in Arshdeep Singh, and going into the final five overs, each bowler had one over left. That shows how well he plans and controls the game. It allows him to decide exactly when to bring in Yuzvendra Chahal, while the other fast bowlers are clear about their roles. They know they have just one over each, so they can plan and execute better. Often, when bowlers have to deliver two overs at the death, pressure can build," Pathan concluded.