34-year-old Indian wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was one of the many players to miss out on India's ICC Champions Trophy squad, not making the cut as India named four spin-bowling options. Once a premier strike bowler in white-ball cricket, Chahal looks to have fallen down and out of the pecking order, with pundit Aakash Chopra seeing this as the final nail in the coffin regarding his India career.
Speaking on his YouTube channel while reflecting on India's squad selections for the premier ICC tournament, Chopra said “Yuzvendra Chahal has been totally finished. His file has been closed. I have got no idea why they did that.”
Chahal was recently also overlooked by Haryana for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Although Punjab Kings made him the most expensive spinner in IPL auction history, Chahal hasn't represented India since 2023, with his former spin partner Kuldeep Yadav now being supported by Axar Patel.
"It is an interesting case. He last played in January 2023. So it's been two years for him. His numbers are also very good. He has picked up a lot of wickets and was consistently doing well," explained Chopra further.
‘It will be seen as a regressive step…’
“Because it's been two years since it (Chahal's file) has been closed, there is no place for Yuzi also here because as soon as you suddenly pick him out of the blue, it will be seen as a regressive step,” he went on to explain, indicating that Chahal was never really in the picture for this tournament either.
{{/usCountry}}“Because it's been two years since it (Chahal's file) has been closed, there is no place for Yuzi also here because as soon as you suddenly pick him out of the blue, it will be seen as a regressive step,” he went on to explain, indicating that Chahal was never really in the picture for this tournament either.
{{/usCountry}}India seem to have established Yadav and Jadeja as the lead spinners for ODIs, with the pair having acted in tandem in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Moreover, Axar’s strong all-round performances in the victorious T20 World Cup in 2024 have moved him up the list for India's spinners, and his versatility and excellence in the field have also made him a preferred choice to Chahal in recent months.
The one surprise pick for India was Washington Sundar, who goes in as a fourth spinner for the team, and another all-round option. However, most see his selection as having trumped pacer Mohammed Siraj, rather than an alternate spin option.
Chahal has recently been in the news as he is going through a split with his partner Dhanashree Verma, but will likely be outside the eye of the cricket until the IPL rolls around in late March.