Shane Warne Speaks to Yuvraj Singh's Request; Claims 'There's No Bowler Better Than Me' after 40-Minute Chat with Indian Spinner

Shane Warne was not just a legendary bowler, but a remarkable human being as well. His skill and talent were unmatched, and he remained as formidable in the final stages of his career as he was in the 1990s. It is tragic that he passed away at the young age of 52, but his legacy will continue to endure through his incredible bowling performances, records, the memories he created, and the lives he influenced. Warne's impact on the cricket world will never be forgotten.

Warne's accolades for Australia are arguably second to none, but his impact was felt even in Indian cricket, when in 2008, he inspired a bunch of youngsters and seniors alike and led Rajasthan Royals to win in the first-ever edition of the IPL. Think of the names in that squad – Morne Morkel, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja – all of whom went on to become hugely popular cricketing figures. But it wasn't only his teammates Warne got the best out of. The Warne effect impacted the careers of oppositions as well.

Piyush Chawla, who was yet to turn 19 at that stage in his career, was finding the transition to T20 cricket tough. The leg-spinner had played a few matches for India, including being part of the 2007 T20 World Cup winning squad, but was having a tough time in the IPL. In the first game itself, he was pitted against the mighty Chennai Super Kings, where Michael Hussey pummeled a century, and in the process, Chawla too. It was at that moment that his captain, Yuvraj Singh of Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) knocked on the doors of Warne. And the rest as they say, is history.

"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," Chawla said on the 2 Sloggers podcast.

And the rest is history

"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 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 narrated further, revealing how coach Tom Moody wanted to try out some other spinner in the next game, but Yuvraj and a couple of seniors from the team convinced him otherwise. What helped put Chawla's two bad games with the ball on the backburner was his knock of 24 off 11 balls, comprising four boundaries which included a sweep off Shane Watson. In the next game, Chawla found his footing with a spell of 2/19. 17 years later, here he is, a veteran of 192 IPL wickets and still going strong.

Stay informed with the latest updates on live cricket score, cricket players, match schedules and ICC rankings. Keep an eye on your favourite cricket team, including the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Check out the cricket schedule, track team standings and dive into player stats and rankings on Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times website and app.