PBKS Struggling to Utilise Yuzvendra Chahal, Says Bowling Coach James Hopes

Punjab Kings (PBKS) fast-bowling coach James Hopes has admitted that the team is yet to get the best out of ace legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal in IPL 2025. Chahal, who was bought for a massive INR 18 crore in the last auction, has played all five of PBKS’ games so far but managed just two wickets at an average of 83.50 and an economy rate of 11.13 — his worst in any IPL season.

Despite being one of the most successful spinners in IPL history, Chahal has struggled to make an impact with PBKS this year. In fact, in their recent 18-run win against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he was introduced only in the 17th over, conceding just nine runs in a tidy spell, but wasn't called upon again.

“With our bowling attack, we need to get Yuzi into the game more than we're doing; he's just struggling to get into the game at the moment,” Hopes said ahead of PBKS' next fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mullanpur on Tuesday. “He bowled a very good over [against CSK], but it’s just about getting him into the tournament. We're five games in, and for us to win the IPL, we're gonna need him.”

PBKS, who are heavily pace-dependent this season, have used their spinners for only 26 overs so far — the least by any team in this edition. In contrast, three other teams have bowled over 50 overs of spin.

Hopes hinted at the need for a change in their bowling strategy. “I think we need to find a way to get more spin into our bowling attack, and hopefully, we see that over the next few games,” he said.

Chahal, released by Rajasthan Royals before the latest mega auction, had enjoyed prolific seasons with his former franchise, even winning the Purple Cap in 2022 with 27 wickets. His numbers against upcoming opponents KKR also offer hope: 29 wickets in 22 innings, including his best IPL figures of 5 for 40.

The team's struggles haven’t been limited to under-utilising Chahal. PBKS have also been plagued by fielding woes, dropping as many as 12 catches this season — a stat Hopes finds deeply concerning.

“If we took care of our catches, I could be sitting here with us having a four-and-one record,” he said. “Dropped catches happen, and they're happening a bit to us in the last few games. But if that turns a little bit, and our boys start holding on to them, start getting a couple of half-chances, well, hopefully we're on the right side of the ledger going forward.”

PBKS currently sit in the lower half of the IPL table with just one win from five matches. As they prepare to face KKR, all eyes will be on whether Chahal is given a more prominent role in the attack — and whether PBKS can turn their campaign around before it's too late.