IND vs AFG: Wasn't Dropped Because Of Form - Imran Tahir Blames This Bowler For Yuzvendra Chahal's Non-Selection
Yuzvendra Chahal has been in and out of the Indian team since the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. He used to be a permanent member of the ODI team but now struggles to find a spot in the Team India squad.
Chahal was also not included in the Indian squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Kuldeep Yadav was paired with Ravindra Jadeja in the Indian team which featured in the ODI World Cup and Ravichandran Ashwin was included as a backup spinner.
Yuzvendra Chahal played 14 ODIs in 2022 and took 21 wickets at an average of 27.10 with three four-wicket hauls. He still failed to maintain his place in the Indian team and eventually lost his place in the ODI squad as he was not selected for the two major events in 2023 in the ODI format which were the Asia Cup and the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Recently, Imran Tahir talked about Yuzvendra Chahal in an interview with PTI. He said that the reason behind Chahal’s exclusion from the Indian team is not because of his poor performance but because Kuldeep Yadav went a step ahead and grabbed his opportunities with both hands. India found a perfect spin duo in Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja.
“I don’t think (Yuzvendra) Chahal is not bowling well. For me, he is bowling well. Chahal was not dropped because he did not do well, and got dropped as Kuldeep (Yadav) went a step ahead. He did well with (Ravindra) Jadeja and India found the right balance. Chahal should start afresh because Kuldeep grabbed the opportunity with both hands and now Chahal should wait for his. He is a wonderful bowler and will surely come back,” says former South Africa cricketer Imran Tahir when asked about Yuzvendra Chahal being dropped from India’s ODI team.
Watch- Imran Tahir Talking About Yuzvendra Chahal’s Spot In The Indian Team
VIDEO | “I don’t think (Yuzvendra) Chahal is not bowling well. For me, he is bowling good. Chahal was not dropped because he did not do well, got dropped as Kuldeep (Yadav) went a step ahead. He did well with (Ravindra) Jadeja and India found the right balance. Chahal should… pic.twitter.com/HYRGybuRU4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 10, 2024
Yuzvendra Chahal has played 72 ODIs for the national team and has taken 121 wickets at an average of 27.13. He was India’s first-choice spinner in limited-overs cricket during the 2017-2020 phase. However, Kuldeep Yadav who was out of the national team for a long team got his opportunities back in 2022 and he grabbed his chances with both hands. As a result, he became a permanent member of the squad in 2023 and played almost every ODI match for India in the year.
Yuzvendra Chahal should keep performing for his team and wait for his chances like Kuldeep did and he will eventually get a spot in the national team. Yuzvendra Chahal has the record of taking the most number of wickets in the Indian Premier League. He plays for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and is their first-choice spinner. Chahal has been the highest wicket-taker for Rajasthan Royals for two consecutive seasons. He was the purple cap holder in the 2022 season whereas in 2023 he took 21 wickets in 14 matches.
