Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Back in 2013, when a boy from Trinidad and Tobago made public his admiration for India’s legendary all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, hardly anyone noticed. But when Akeal Hosein bagged a four-wicket haul for Chennai Super Kings at the iconic Wankhede against fellow five-time champions Mumbai Indians, that 13-year-old manifestation resurfaced.
Back then, Hosein was just a 20-year-old, yet to make his List A or T20 debut, letting the world know about his role model via a tweet. Although Hosein has produced starring performances against India, his display against MI on Thursday night is what truly brought the resemblance out. The West Indian spinner was bought by CSK for Rs 2 crore during the 2026 IPL Auction.
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CSK had put up a hefty target for MI to chase; however, Hosein’s brilliant bowling in the powerplay brought the opposition to its knees very early.
A left-arm orthodox spinner himself, Akeal struck gold in the very first over, getting the better of rookie batter Danish Malewar and sending him back for a golden duck. The impact substitute, Hosein then dismissed in-form Naman Dhir, ending with a wicket-maiden over.
He later returned in the middle overs to wrap up MI’s chase by removing Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav. The West Indian finished with figures of 4-17, a performance truly replicating the impact Jadeja had during his time with the yellow jersey.
“I think one thing that sticks with me is what Dwayne Bravo said. He said as bowlers, and as spinners and guys who operate in the powerplay, you’re going to get hit. So as long as you can get that out of your mind and just focus on your plans—what are the batter’s strengths and weaknesses, and what are your strengths and weaknesses—and as long as you focus on what you’re going to execute and forget about being scared of getting hit, I think you’re fine,” Hosein said about his game after the match against MI.
And social media was quick to bring that old tweet back, with users agreeing that he had indeed done what Jadeja used to do.
However, this was not the first time Hosein had pulled off a moment of brilliance. In a T20I against England in January 2022, Hosein hit a hat-trick of sixes and two fours in the last over and nearly won West Indies the match when they needed 30 runs off six balls. West Indies fell one run short of the target. Then in 2023, against India in a T20I, he delivered an all-round performance, picking up two important wickets while scoring a match-winning 16 off 10 balls to take West Indies over the line.
Hosein will next be in action against Gujarat Titans when CSK host them at the MA Chidambaram on April 26.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
