Former Indian cricket team star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is celebrating his 35th birthday today. Born on July 23, 1990, in Jind, Haryana, Chahal has taken Indian cricket to new heights with his performance in limited-overs cricket.
Sports News: After Harbhajan Singh's departure from international cricket, India was in search of new spin options. During this time, R Ashwin began to establish himself as a leading off-spinner, while Ravindra Jadeja also played a permanent role in the team as a left-arm spinner and all-rounder. In the midst of these developments, another right-arm leg spinner rapidly gained recognition in the ODI and T20 formats with his miraculous bowling—this player was Yuzvendra Chahal.
Career Shone Under Virat Kohli's Captaincy
In 2016, Yuzvendra Chahal made his ODI and T20 International cricket debut for the Indian team. At that time, India's spin bowling tradition was undergoing a period of change. Harbhajan Singh had retired from international cricket, and spinners like R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were gradually becoming permanent members of the team.
But Chahal surprised everyone with his leg-spin bowling. In particular, captain Virat Kohli had complete faith in him. Kohli gave Chahal continuous opportunities, and he justified that faith with his performance. Chahal played a key role in several series wins for India in limited overs cricket.
Why the Break Under Rohit Sharma's Captaincy?
While Chahal received regular opportunities under Virat Kohli's captaincy, the picture seemed to change somewhat after Rohit Sharma became captain. Chahal was included in the team, but he did not get a place in the playing eleven. Chahal was part of the T20 World Cups in 2022 and 2024, but he did not get a chance to play a single match in either tournament. His name was also missing from the Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023 squads. Moreover, Chahal was overlooked for the Champions Trophy 2025 as well.
Name Shone in International T20s, Test Debut Still Incomplete
Chahal's Test debut has not yet happened, but he has created excellent records for India in ODIs and T20s.
- ODI: 72 matches, 121 wickets
- T20I: 80 matches, 96 wickets
At one time, Chahal was the highest wicket-taker for India in T20 Internationals. However, due to not getting continuous opportunities, this record is now held by Arshdeep Singh (99 wickets). Experts believe that if Chahal had been given sufficient opportunities, he could have been India's first 150-wicket taker in T20 cricket.
Dominance Remains in IPL
Even though Chahal's return to international cricket seems uncertain now, his performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been consistently excellent. IPL (2013-2025): 174 matches, 221 wickets. This record makes him the most successful bowler in IPL history. In a match played for the Royals in 2022, his hat-trick once again made the cricket world a fan of his skills.
Yuzvendra Chahal, who last played for India in August 2023, has not yet announced his retirement. However, there is no serious discussion about his return to the team. The selectors' preference now seems to be leaning towards young bowlers.
