Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal wasn’t a part of the Indian ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 squad because the team couldn’t afford both their specialist spinners to be inept with the bat. Even though the primary job of a bowler is to take wickets and restrict the flow of runs, multi-dimensional players are recipients of the box seat in this day and age.
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As a result, all-rounder Axar Patel was picked as India’s third-spin bowling option after Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. Despite their exact same offerings, Patel and Jadeja were part of the squad because of their competency across departments.
However, when a quadriceps strain ruled Patel out of the World Cup, the Indian selection committee still didn’t feel the need to look towards Chahal. Instead, the southpaw was replaced by Ravichandran Ashwin to fulfill India’s longing for a spinner worthy of contributing with the bat as well. Ashwin, who had played only two ODIs in the last six years before the World Cup, was preferred because of the same reason which allows Shardul Thakur to play overseas Tests.
With Chahal yielding moderate returns across a couple of ODIs that he played this year, it was pretty certain that he had fallen behind Kuldeep in the pecking order. The chinaman bowler, on the contrary, scalped 33 wickets in 17 ODIs until the world event. If truth be told, it’s unfair to even compare Chahal with Jadeja as the latter is a genuine all-rounder.
Taking into consideration his potential, Chahal is well within his rights to feel hard done by. However, at times, one has to accept snubs in the name of team dynamics in a team sport such as cricket.
Yuzvendra Chahal Not Even Part Of Indian Squad For Australia T20Is
Spotted watching the first semi-final with his wife Dhanashree Verma at the Wankhede Stadium last week, Chahal will have to watch more matches from the outside in the near future. Shockingly, he hasn’t even been picked for an upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia. With 13 of the 15 Indian World Cup players missing, Chahal would’ve expected a call-up.
In the absence of a press conference, no official statement has been released with respect to Chahal’s ouster. Hence, one sees Chahal not able to find a spot ahead of Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi.
| Bowler | T20Is in 2023 | Wickets | Economy | Avearge | Strike Rate |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 9 | 9 | 8.72 | 28.11 | 19.33 |
| Washington Sundar | 8 | 5 | 6.3 | 25.2 | 24 |
| Axar Patel | 8 | 5 | 7.95 | 33.4 | 25.2 |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 6 | 9 | 6.38 | 17 | 16 |
| Bowler | IPL 2023 Matches | Wickets | Economy | Avearge | Strike Rate |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 14 | 21 | 8.18 | 20.57 | 15.1 |
| Washington Sundar | 7 | 3 | 8.26 | 48.67 | 35.33 |
| Axar Patel | 14 | 11 | 7.19 | 30.73 | 25.64 |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 15 | 16 | 7.74 | 24.44 | 18.94 |
Readers must note that Chahal has picked more wickets than the trio selected for the Australia series in both the T20Is played this year and IPL 2023. While Patel and Sundar’s batting skills could’ve come to their rescue, Bishnoi’s better economy rate could’ve granted him the right to retain his spot. However, it is to be noted that three out of Bishnoi’s six T20Is this year had come against weaker teams during Asian Games 2023.
In the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Chahal dismissed 11 batters in seven matches at an economy rate of 5.82. Have the Indian selectors moved on from 33-year old Chahal? Maybe.
Is it unfair if they have? Yes. India’s highest T20I wicket-taker, Chahal has even developed the ability to bowl the death overs during his stint for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
