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Former Indian spinner Venkatapathy Raju is of the opinion that Yuzvendra Chahal deserves more opportunities to play. According to Raju, Chahal’s infrequent match appearances and India’s preference for all-rounders have been detrimental to his inclusion in the T20I squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.
Although Chahal was a member of the squad during the T20 World Cup 2024—an event India eventually won—he did not feature in any matches. The team’s decision to select Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, all left-arm spinners, led to Chahal’s exclusion from the Playing XI.
Now, with Kuldeep Yadav not included in the T20I squad for the Sri Lanka tour, it seemed like an opportune moment for Chahal to be recalled. Surprisingly, however, the 34-year-old was overlooked in favor of the younger legspinner, Ravi Bishnoi.
Venkatapathy Raju reveals why Yuzvendra Chahal was excluded from the Sri Lanka tour.
In an interview with the news agency IANS, Raju speculated on why Yuzvendra Chahal was omitted from the squad despite not playing a single game.
Raju pointed out that India’s current strategy emphasizes the inclusion of more all-rounders, which contributed to Chahal’s exclusion from the Playing XI. He encouraged Chahal to remain hopeful and patient, assuring him that his opportunity will eventually come.
“He (Yuzvendra Chahal) should be playing more matches, again and again. You should always believe in yourself. Chahal has been a brilliant bowler. But unfortunately, we look more into the all-rounders. That’s why we had Jadeja, then we had Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. If Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are part of the team, you can’t keep them away from the eleven,” said Raju.
Raju also mentioned that Chahal’s recent lack of match play might have contributed to his exclusion from the squad. He expressed the hope that the legspinner would excel in domestic cricket and secure a return to the Indian team.
“Yuzi is a brilliant bowler but he missed out as he has not played enough matches. There is nothing like getting old or anything is far away from you. You can always play good matches, come back and perform. Now the biggest headache for all the selectors is that there is so much variety now,” Raju said.
“In that variety to pick someone, it takes real guts and Chahal is a proven match winner. The only thing is little lack of match practice. Hopefully, he plays a lot of domestic cricket and comes back strong,” he added.
Venkatapathy Raju compares Ravi Bishnoi to Rashid Khan.
The former India left-arm spinner also praised Ravi Bishnoi, drawing a comparison to Afghanistan legend Rashid Khan. He suggested that Bishnoi deserves more opportunities, noting that he is currently in great form and excels as a fielder.
“When you’re in form, you should be getting your chances. The spinners are very, very, very important players when it comes to white-ball cricket. We’ve seen Chahal for a long time, but unfortunately he doesn’t find a place now. So that’s why we have Bishnoi, who fields brilliantly. Then, him being young, it gives you that extra advantage on the field also,” the 55-year-old said.
“When he bowls, it’s a new variety, as he’s a different bowler. He depends more on his googlies, which is in Rashid Khan mould. He’s very high on his confidence now, and that also adds because when you talk about the next T20 World Cup coming, he should play as many matches as possible,” Raju added.
Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record as India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is. The leg-spinner has amassed 96 wickets in 80 matches, boasting an average of 25.09 and an economy rate of 8.19, with his best performance being 6 for 25.
