Table of Contents
A massive update on Indian cricket. A Times of India sports journalist named Arani Basu, during a live conversation, claimed that the India National Cricket Team's T20I skipper, Shreyas Iyer, demanded Yuzvendra Chahal in the national team for the shortest format of the game.
Chahal, who played his last Indian Premier League (IPL) season for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) under the leadership of Iyer, is undoubtedly a proven talent, but for a long time, he has been out of the national cricket team.
Will Yuzvendra Chahal make a comeback with the India National Cricket Team?
Yuzvendra Chahal is currently 36, recently featured in the County Championship for Northamptonshire, and played his last T20 International for India in August 2023 against West Indies. His last One Day International match for the team was in January 2023.
While the Indian team management has been pushing fresh talent over experienced candidates, it is currently unusual to see Yuzvendra Chahal back in the Indian cricket team. But if the demand made by skipper Shreyas Iyer himself sounds strong, then the selectors could change their mind. But will they consider Chahal for another stint? The question will remain.
Listen to the claim here.
🚨Breaking Shreyas Iyer wants Yuzi Chahal in the Indian Team. [Arani Basu, TOI] https://t.co/OuEeNPeGTv
— Indian Cricket 🏏 (@Indiancric1cm) October 28, 2026
The return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar has changed many equations
The departure of Ajit Agarkar as the chief selector, and the comeback of the experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, have been believed to have changed many equations. During the era of Agarkar, the team mostly relied on the young talents. After he departed from the position, there was an instant change in selection policy. The return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar was a massive call by the national team selectors, which is currently headed by Pragyan Ojha. Will there be any other comebacks in the future?
Like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who did well in the past couple of Indian Premier League seasons and in other domestic tournaments, Mohammed Shami and Krunal Pandya are among the veterans who also did their jobs precisely for their respective teams. If the Indian cricket team selectors aim to select more players based only on their performances instead of their ages, then the list of the contenders will be prolonged. Yuzvendra Chahal can also be on the list of possible contenders.
Yuzvendra Chahal's performance for Team India and Punjab Kings
The 36-year-old spinner is a proven bowler who has played across the white-ball formats. Chahal has played 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is so far for the Indian cricket team. In the 50-over format, the leg-break specialist has claimed 121 wickets, and 96 wickets in the T20Is.
In the previous IPL season, Chahal picked up 12 wickets in 12 innings for the Punjab Kings. He had to struggle with his form at the initial stage of the season, but once he got into form, he became a regular wicket-taker for the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings in the IPL 2026 season. In IPL 2025, Yuzvendra Chahal picked 16 wickets for PBKS in 13 innings. In both of the previous season, the spinner's economy rate rates were between nine and ten.
