Jafer Chohan confident that Yorkshire CCC can hit back to win the T20 Blast
JAFER CHOHAN believes that Yorkshire can still win the Vitality Blast – but says that he must raise his own game to help make that happen.
The Yorkshire leg-spinner is confident that the club can yet win the competition for the first time, despite losing five of their opening seven matches.
Yorkshire are second-bottom of the North Group at the halfway stage, level with bottom club Derbyshire, who have an identical win-loss record but an inferior net run-rate, but Chohan insisted: “If you look at our line-up, there’s absolutely no reason why we can't go on and win this competition. That's what we're going to still try and do.
“We have so much faith within our team, and we’re going to give it absolutely everything. I think that’s one thing you’ll always get from us – until the last ball, we’ll give it everything we’ve got.”
It is fighting talk from the 22-year-old, who is the club’s joint second-highest wicket-taker in the competition with seven from as many appearances.
Last season, Chohan finished second outright with 15 behind only Jordan Thompson (21), establishing himself as a key figure in the format, but he has not been happy with his form thus far, going wicket-less in his first three Blast outings before a confidence-boosting 4-27 in a victory against Leicestershire shifted the narrative.
“I’ve not been at my absolute best,” said Chohan. “It wasn't the easiest of starts for me, but I've been shown a lot of faith from the coaches and by Mala (captain Dawid Malan).
“I know I need to be giving a lot more, and I need to do better, and there's a lot for me to work on. I feel like I can show a lot more for the team and do a lot more, so hopefully in the next half (of the Blast) I can do that.”
Chohan would appear to be the least of Yorkshire’s problems, or challenges, if they are to somehow reach the knockouts.
He is a grounded character who, with two full Blast campaigns behind him going into this season, demands much from himself.
“I think after a couple of years of the experiences I've had, I need to be hitting the ground running a lot more,” he added. “I think the first couple of years, I was just settling in, and there's not really that expectation or pressure.
“But now I feel like with the experiences I've had, and the amount of games I've played already, I do feel a lot more comfortable and I'm very confident in my game. I just want to have a much bigger impact on the team than maybe I had in previous years.”
Next up for Yorkshire is Durham on Friday, affording the chance for quickfire revenge. Durham it was who beat Yorkshire by six wickets at York on Sunday, the hosts sliding to 28-3 in the powerplay and then to 76-8 before a recovery of sorts to 128.
“We put a really good effort in with the ball, but I think you're always struggling when you're not getting 130,” said Chohan.
“We definitely have the faith that we've got the batters and the talent to do it – it’s just now about showing it.
“We've got depth in our batting and bowling line-up, and hopefully we can get back at them (Durham) at their place on Friday.”