Yuzvendra Chahal retires from first-class cricket, keeps India white-ball hopes alive

Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has announced his retirement from first-class cricket, bringing an end to his red-ball career while admitting that his long-held dream of playing Test cricket will not be fulfilled.

Chahal, 36, made the announcement on Friday in an emotional post on Instagram, reflecting on his journey in the longer format and saying his final first-class appearance at Lord’s had closed an important chapter of his career.

“The first cricket ball I ever held was a red ball. I was 10 years old, and I had no idea then how deeply I would fall in love with this game,” Chahal wrote.

He said first-class cricket taught him patience, resilience and the importance of fighting for every run and wicket. Although he never received a Test call-up from India, Chahal said he was grateful for the opportunities and memories the format had given him.

Test dream remains unfulfilled

A Test cap remained one of Chahal’s biggest ambitions throughout his career, but he accepted that the opportunity is no longer likely to come.

“I played my last First-Class match at Lord’s. Saying these words is emotional as a Test cap was always a dream, one that I carried with me for many years. It may not have happened, but I am genuinely content with the journey I have had,” he said.

Chahal began his first-class career with Haryana in 2009 and finished with 148 wickets from 49 matches at an average of 32.27.

His final spell in red-ball cricket came with Northamptonshire in the 2026 County Championship. He took 21 wickets at an average of 16.14 in Division Two, ending the season with one of the best bowling averages among players who claimed at least 20 wickets.

His final first-class match came against Middlesex, who beat Northamptonshire by seven wickets.

Still chasing India comeback

While Chahal has closed the door on first-class cricket, he made it clear that he is not retiring from the international game.

“I AM NOT DONE YET. The hunger to play for my country is still very much alive,” he said, adding that he believes he still has enough cricket left in him to earn another opportunity in ODIs and T20Is.

Chahal has played 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is for India, taking 217 wickets across the two formats. His last international appearance came in a T20I against the West Indies in August 2023.

He has since fallen out of favour with India’s selectors but continues to play List A and T20 cricket. Chahal remains the Indian Premier League’s leading wicket-taker and currently represents Punjab Kings in the tournament.