Yuzvendra Chahal issues open challenge to BCCI selectors after successful county stint
Published - 28 Sep 2024, 03:04 PM | Updated - 28 Sep 2024, 11:43 PM
India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal issued an open challenge to the selectors after his successful stint with Northamptonshire in County Championship cricket. Yuzvendra Chahal said that he wanted to showcase his worth in English conditions with Team India's Test tour of England in 2025 in mind.
Chahal didn't get a chance in any of the matches during India's successful T20 World Cup 2024 in June. The right-arm leg spinner wasn't included in the white-ball tours of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. He decided to play for Northamptonshire in the County Championship and proved his worth.
The 34-year-old began his County stint for Northamptonshire by taking five wickets in a nine-wicket win over Kent. He had a couple of below-par performances but bounced back with 18 wickets in his last two matches. He showcased his ability to adapt and perform in English conditions.
An Opportunity To Showcase My Skills - Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal said that he wanted to show how good he is in challenging English conditions ahead of India's tour of England in 2025. He said that playing in County Cricket gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities against high-quality opposition.
"County cricket is tough cricket. It gave me an opportunity to showcase my skills against a very good standard of cricket. With India touring England next year, I wanted to show how good I am," Chahal told TOI.
"Firstly, I am very grateful to Brindon sir who gave me an opportunity to play in County cricket, and then the Rajasthan Royal's coaches introduced me to Krish Patel, a highly-educated 18-year old cricketer who is thought to have a very bright future in the game. I want to see him play internationally and if I can help, I am always there," he added.
India is set to visit England for a five-match Test series for the next cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC). Chahal has yet to make his Test debut for India. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel have been first-choice spin bowlers for India in Test cricket.
Yuzvendra Chahal Played For Kent In Last County Championship Season
Many Indian players see county cricket as an opportunity to improve their skills. Recently, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar, and Prithvi Shaw have participated in county matches. Brindon Bagirathan is the key link connecting Indian players with English cricket opportunities.
Chahal participated in a few matches for Kent during the last County Championship season. The veteran spin bowler took 18 wickets in eight matches with an impressive economy rate of 3.70 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Chahal has made occasional appearances for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy.
The Haryana cricketer has played 39 first-class matches in his career. He has taken 115 wickets at an average of 32.29 with best bowling figures of 6/44.
