Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif expressed his surprise regarding the limited use of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal during the IPL 2026 match where Punjab Kings faced a four-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Sunday night. Speaking on X, Kaif questioned the decision made by PBKS to allow one of the most successful bowlers in IPL history, Chahal, to bowl only a single over. In that over, Chahal conceded 13 runs.

Kaif highlighted that Chahal has taken 228 wickets in the league, many of which were during his long tenure with Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He remarked that it was astonishing to see Chahal, the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, bowl just one over against GT. Notably, he secured 139 of those wickets during his eight years with RCB on the flat Chinnaswamy pitch.

While acknowledging that the pitch conditions might have influenced the team's strategy, Kaif pointed out the presence of grass on the pitch. However, he emphasized that a skilled bowler like Chahal possesses the ability to take wickets even in challenging conditions. He stated that despite the grass on the pitch, Chahal is a great player in the IPL and could have found ways to take wickets. Punjab needs to place more trust in him.

In the thrilling match held at Narendra Modi Stadium, Gujarat Titans triumphed over the top-ranked Punjab Kings by four wickets. Jason Holder's impressive four-wicket haul and crucial innings from Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar played a significant role in this victory. Recovering from early setbacks, the partnership of 79 runs between Suryansh Shedge and Marcus Stoinis helped PBKS post a score of 163/9, but Holder's outstanding performance of 4/24 halted their progress.