In T20 cricket, there’s a conventional wisdom that dictates only super-specialists or top bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah handle the 19th over, as batting teams aim to maximize their remaining deliveries.

However, during the match against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, Punjab Kings captain Sam Curran made an unconventional move by entrusting legspinner Rahul Chahar with the 19th over. It marked Chahar’s first time bowling the 19th over in the IPL, and also the first instance since 2020 that PBKS deployed a spinner for that crucial over.

Chahar, who had already dismissed Ravindra Jadeja for 2 off four balls in the tenth over, returned to bowl with a dew-slicked ball for the 19th. As he took the ball, eight Chepauk ground staff members were seen entering the field, dragging four ropes along with them.

Chahar responded with a strategic three-run over, claiming the wicket of spin-hitter Moeen Ali in the process. Crucially, Chahar effectively neutralized MS Dhoni’s powerful finishing prowess by consistently bowling wide outside off, denying him easy access to his preferred leg-side boundary. ESPNcricinfo’s Shiva Jayaraman provides statistical insight into Dhoni’s off-side limitations against spin: out of Dhoni’s 147 boundaries against spinners in the IPL, only 43 have been scored on the off side. Dhoni’s last boundary against a spinner on the off side was in 2022, and since then, he has faced 35 balls from spinners without scoring a boundary on the off side.

While Chahar may not boast the T20 pedigree of Rashid Khan or Sunil Narine, he possesses attributes that make him a challenging bowler to handle. He delivers the ball swiftly, bowls with variations in pace and trajectory, preventing batsmen from charging down the pitch. Additionally, he can generate sharp turn at a rapid pace and often employs a unique reverse diagonal run-up across the umpire, adding to the complexity for batsmen.