Yuzvendra Chahal established himself as one of India’s most successful white-ball spinners, but suffered a major setback in 2023 when he was left out of the squad for the ODI World Cup on home soil.
Despite his strong record in T20 cricket, the leg-spinner has never played a match in a T20 World Cup. Speaking to former India opener Aakash Chopra, Chahal revealed that then-captain Rohit Sharma had explained why he was not included in India’s 15-member squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
“In 2023, when I went to play County, Rohit had told me that we want batters till number eight, so we were going with that. He told me clearly that they were also looking for an extra fast bowler for the World Cup. So it was made clear to me. After the World Cup, I just stopped thinking about selection,” Chahal said.
Although Chahal last played a T20I in Aug 2023, but still he was selected for India’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, however, he did not get a chance to play during the tournament. His impressive performances in the IPL that year helped him return to the selection picture, with Rohit showing interest in having him in the team.
“In the IPL 2024, I just came to enjoy and did not put extra pressure on myself. That season, I did well, and Rohit told me he wanted me and we would see in the selection meeting,” he added.
Chahal has picked up 96 wickets in 78 T20Is since making his debut in 2016. However, he missed the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Reflecting on his World Cup disappointments, Chahal said being left out of the squad completely was more painful than being selected but not getting a chance to play.
“I felt worse in 2021 because I was not there at all. In 2022, at least I was in the team. Sometimes you also know the combination may not work. So I did not think a lot. But you always feel that you should have at least played one World Cup game. Rohit had told me that I would play only if a particular combination worked. So at least I had the clarity,” he said.
Chahal recently completed a County stint with Northamptonshire before announcing his retirement from First-Class cricket in Aug 2026. He finished his First-Class career with 148 wickets in 49 matches.