Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has discussed the potential return of Yuzvendra Chahal to the Indian team. As a commentator, Chopra advocates for including a leg-spinner in the squad, expressing sympathy for Chahal, whom he feels has been unjustly sidelined.
Chahal, once a key player, has largely faded from the Indian team setup. Following the 2017 Champions Trophy, he and Kuldeep Yadav took over from Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, quickly establishing themselves as vital components of the team due to their impressive performances.
Together with Kuldeep Yadav, Chahal played a crucial role in India’s success in white-ball cricket. The duo, known as “Kulcha,” consistently disrupted opposing batting line-ups and contributed significantly to the team’s achievements.
Chahal was a member of the 2019 World Cup squad and was initially a first-choice spinner. However, his form began to decline in 2021, leading to his exclusion from the team. Since then, his selection has been sporadic, and he has not had a consistent place in the squad.
Despite being part of the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2024, Chahal did not play in any matches and was subsequently dropped. He was also left out of the team for the white-ball tour, with no clear indication of his future inclusion.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra urged the team management to reconsider Chahal’s inclusion, emphasizing that the leg-spinner has not performed poorly and deserves more support.
“Personally, if you ask me, I would say play him, please. What is the problem? Earlier, when the World Cup used to start, you used to kick them out. He used to play for India all the time. After that, he used to get dropped just ahead of the World Cup.
“If he gets picked for the World Cup, then he doesn’t get a chance to play there. This time, he got picked in the World Cup, but then they got dropped. Poor guy has done nothing wrong. In my opinion, he has that skill.”
I feel he is very good – Aakash Chopra on Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal further said that India is struggling to get wickets in the middle overs and the leg-spinner has the skill to do that. He stated that both he and Kuldeep Yadav should play as Chahal is a very good player. He elaborated:
“And skill is needed. We have also seen this in Sri Lanka. When middle overs come, you need wicket-taking ability. Otherwise, if the start is good, you get 3-4-5 wickets. If the opposing team decides that we don’t want to play bad shots, we don’t want to lose a wicket, then how will you take a wicket?
“Then you need a bit more skill. And that skill, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzi Chahal have a bit more skill compared to the finger spinners. So, I am going with Yuzi Chahal. Don’t close the door on him. Please keep them together. And play them. He is good. I feel he is very good,” he concluded.
