India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal produced a match-winning spell of 4-0-22-4 on Tuesday to power Income Tax to a huge 135-run win over Canara Bank in a DY Patil T20 Cup match. Playing in his first match of the corporate tournament here at the DY Patil University Ground, the right-arm spinner hit the strides immediately sending down 10 dots and conceding only two fours in his spell. Income Tax first piled up 244 for five, courtesy Vishal More’s 28-ball 61 (8x4s, 3x6s) and an unbeaten 18-ball 53 from Sumit Kumar, who clobbered five sixes and four hits to the fence.

The tournament had witnessed the return of India all-rounder Hardik Pandya from a long injury layoff as well as wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan.

Earlier, Chahal picked Rajasthan Royals teammates Jos Buttler or Yashasvi Jaiswal to win the Orange Cap (become the highest run-scorer) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

In a video on his YouTube channel ‘JokerKiHaveli,’ Esports streamer Gulrez Khan asked him to pick the top run-scorer of the upcoming season and although he jokingly picked himself first, he later said he believes it will be either Buttler or Jaiswal.

“Orange cap will go to (Yashasvi) Jaiswal or Jos Buttler,” Chahal said. Chahal was asked to predict the leading wicket-taker as well and he picked himself.

For the second position, he picked Gujarat Titans spinner Rashid Khan.

“I will take the most wickets. Second, Rashid Khan,” the veteran spinner said in the video.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has expressed his surprise over the leg spinner being excluded from the central contracts of the BCCI. He added that Chahal’s ouster means the selection committee is looking at other options.

(With PTI inputs)