India's leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal announced his retirement from red-ball cricket on Friday, bringing an end to his first-class career. Chahal, who never played a Test match for India, admitted that his long-held dream of earning a Test cap was no longer practical.
“For me, red-ball cricket was never just another format. It was where I learned the meaning of patience, character, resilience and the pure joy of being out there for hours, fighting for every run and every wicket,” Chahal announced via an Instagram post.
“I played my last First-Class match at Lord's; saying these words is emotional as a Test cap was always a dream, one that I carried with me for many years. It may not have happened, but I am genuinely content with the journey I have had and incredibly grateful for every opportunity that came my way in this format.”
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The 36-year-old last played for India in August 2023, when he featured in the T20I against West Indies. His last ODI appearance came earlier that year, against New Zealand on January 24.
“The hunger to play for my country is still very much alive. I believe I have the cricket left in me, and I will give everything I have to earn another opportunity in the One-Day and T20 formats,” he concluded.
While Chahal is stepping away from red-ball cricket, his white-ball numbers underline the impact he has had for India.
He has taken 96 wickets in 80 T20Is at an economy rate of 8.19. His tally puts him fifth among India's leading wicket-takers in T20Is, with Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel ahead of him.
Chahal made his international debut on India's 2016 tour of Zimbabwe. He made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in Harare on June 11, before making his T20I debut against the same opposition on June 18.
In ODIs, Chahal has taken 121 wickets from 72 matches at an economy rate of 5.27 and an average of 27.13.
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During his India career, Chahal also formed a highly successful spin partnership with left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The duo became popularly known as ‘Kul-Cha' and were often used together to hunt for wickets in the middle overs.
Despite his impressive white-ball career, Chahal surprisingly never played a match for India at the T20 World Cup. He was part of India's squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which India won, but did not feature in a match.
Chahal has now made it clear that his red-ball journey is over, but his international ambitions remain alive. In his retirement announcement, he said he still has the hunger to play for India and will continue to fight for another opportunity in ODI and T20 cricket.
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