How a meeting with Warne changed this India spinner's career

NEW DELHI: Cricket legend Shane Warne is well-known for his impact on Australian cricket, but his influence also extended significantly to Indian cricket. India spinner Piyush Chawla disclosed that as a young leg-spinner he got a crucial guidance from the legend during a crucial time in his career.
In 2008, Piyush Chawla was just 18 years old, already having experienced international success as part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup-winning squad.However, adjusting to the demands of IPL cricket was challenging.
Chawla’s debut match for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) saw him face the formidable Chennai Super Kings. Michael Hussey‘s century during this match left Chawla demoralized, as he was hit for 20 runs in just one over, severely shaking his confidence.Reflecting on this difficult period, Chawla shared his experience on the 2 Sloggers podcast: “Our first match was against CSK and they scored some 230-odd runs. I bowled one over and got smashed for 20 runs. Just got one over. I thought ‘It’s ok. What’s done is done’. We reached Jaipur for the second match against Rajasthan Royals. We batted first and I scored some 24 runs off 11-12 balls. When I came to bowl, I conceded 30 in 2 overs. I went to my room and thought ‘This T20 cricket is not my cup of tea’. I was 18 at that time and really worried.”
At this pivotal moment, Chawla’s captain, Yuvraj Singh, took a crucial step by arranging a meeting between Chawla and Shane Warne, despite language barriers. This meeting had a significant impact on Chawla’s mindset and career.

“Yuvraj came up and he made me meet the legendary Shane Warne. I went to his room and started speaking. English I wasn’t able to speak much and the one with an accent, couldn’t understand much. But I understood whatever little I could. After 40 minutes, I left his room and I’m not kidding but I felt there is no bowler better than me. He said so many things to me and made me understand the little things about cricket,” Chawla recalled.
Warne’s advice rejuvenated Chawla’s confidence. In his next match, Chawla demonstrated his true potential by delivering an impressive spell of 2/19. This performance marked the beginning of a long and successful IPL career.
Seventeen years later, Piyush Chawla has become a veteran of the IPL, amassing 192 wickets over his career.