Rahul Chahar was picked at the 2018 IPL Auction but had to wait an entire season to make his debut for the Men in Blue and Gold. The wrist spinner has carried his domestic form into IPL and continues to improve with every passing game. 

The 19-year-old produced his best figures in the Indian Premier League when he claimed Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw and Colin Munro to help us defend 168 at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday.

Post the match, Rahul caught up with mumbaiindians.com and spoke on his confidence, learning from the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and more.

Excerpts from the interview... 

Q: What are your thoughts on the game-changing spell?

Rahul: These were my best figures in the IPL. I was waiting for a spinner-friendly pitch so that I could use my variations. You don't get that opportunity at the Wankhede.

Q: Did you learn from watching Amit Mishra bowl in the first innings?

Rahul: I did see how Amit Mishra bowled. Even the way he got Rohit Sharma bowled, I learnt that I had to bowl length deliveries because it was tough to hit on the back foot.

Q: How did you recover from the first over after Shikhar Dhawan took you for 10 runs?

Rahul: The two fours (hit by Dhawan in the first over) were not hit on bad deliveries. It did no harm to my confidence. I bowled well but he was able to connect.

Q: Sachin Tendulkar spoke to you after the RCB game in the dressing room. What exactly happened?

Rahul: Sachin sir had asked me to stick to my strengths. I was bowling quick and flat which didn't help the ball turn. He wanted to help me improve there. He asked me not to over-spin and I followed what he said. He had seen me bowl in the nets. He saw a difference when I was bowling in the game and spotted it.

Q: How crucial is Zaheer’s role?

Rahul: Zaheer sir is always with me - whether before a game or during a practice session. He keeps helping me solve my problems. He had asked me to work on one particular thing during training which helped me improve.

Q: Out of the three, which was your favourite wicket?

Rahul: Iyer's wicket (was my favourite). It was a leg-spinner's dream delivery. The ball turned after pitching and hit the timber.