Yuzvendra Chahal Retires from First-Class Cricket

India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has announced his retirement from first-class cricket, bringing the curtain down on his 17-year red-ball career. Chahal made the announcement on social media, saying his dream of wearing the Test cap for India would remain unfulfilled. His final first-class appearance came for Northamptonshire against Middlesex at Lord’s. Chahal said red-ball cricket taught him patience, character and resilience, and that he remains satisfied with his journey despite not getting an opportunity to play Test cricket for India.

Chahal began his first-class career with Haryana in 2009 and finished with 148 wickets from 49 matches at an average of 32.27. In the 2026 County Championship season, he claimed 21 wickets in five matches for Northamptonshire. The leg-spinner has represented India in 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is and was part of the country’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad. His last international appearance came against the West Indies in August 2023. Chahal has made it clear that his cricket journey is not over and that he will continue to work towards opportunities in the ODI and T20 formats.