Rahul Chahar is our wicket-taking bowler: Bond

Chennai,  Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond has termed leg-spinner Rahul Chahar as a wicket-taking bowler. The 21-year-old picked four wickets for 27 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders as he ran through their top-order, dismissing the first four batsmen including captain Eoin Morgan and opener Shubman Gill.

Mumbai Indians, who have a top-level pace battery, featuring the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult, are looking to use Chahar as a wicket-taking option.

“Rahul’s (Chahar) a wicket-taking bowler. You make him bowl those balls that are too good. His role is to come into the middle and spin the ball and create some pressure and take wickets. That is the role we look to make him do,” said Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond while answering questions from the media.

Chahar, who represents Rajasthan in domestic cricket, has been a member of the Mumbai Indians team and has got into the habit of winning.

“He is doing extremely well. If you look at Rahul he is still an incredibly young man, who has played fair bit of cricket and high pressure cricket in finals and has been a key member of our team. In terms of our team, he has a long way to go. The beauty about Rahul is that when we sit down and do analysis, he is a good listener,” said Bond.

Bond added MI’s strength is their bowling unit performing collectively.

“We are a collective bowling unit. The key to winning championships is a strong bowling attack and I think we have had five international bowlers playing in Mumbai Indians bowling line-up for a long time,” added Bond who also praised Krunal Pandya.

“If you look at our success years, the key was on those top order wickets. But for our spinners to do a containing and wicket-taking job in the middle which is what Krunal [proves] with his stats [that he has done]. Playing at the Wankhede (in previous seasons) and going under seven an over is incredible job for us,” added Bond.

“Krunal and Rahul were sensational in last game.”