Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has criticised the BCCI for sidelining Yuzvendra Chahal, India's star spinner, from England series and the ICC Champions Trophy squad.
Chahal, who last played for India in August 2023, has not been included in any bilateral series since then, including major tournaments such as the ICC World Cup 2023, he was part of the T20 World Cup winning squad but didn't played any match.
Chopra expressed his disappointment on his YouTube channel, stating that Chahal's career seems "finished" and questioning the selectors' decision to ignore a bowler with such impressive records.
"Yuzvendra Chahal has been totally finished. His file has been closed. I have got no idea why they did that."
Karun Nair, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson - should they have been picked for the Champions Trophy?
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 20, 2025
Let's take a look at the ones that missed out on selection in today's #Aakashvani https://t.co/HxMZhDeuyA pic.twitter.com/A5XGT7Wzvm
Despite these stats, he was overlooked for the Champions Trophy squad, possibly due to his two-year absence from international cricket. Chopra added that bringing Chahal back now might be seen as a backward step by the selectors.
"It is an interesting case. He last played in August 2023. So it's been two years for him. His numbers are also very good. He has picked up a lot of wickets and was consistently doing well," Chopra said.
Chahal missed the 2024 Vijay Hazare Trophy, which sidelined him from the Champions Trophy, Chopra expressed.
"Because it's been two years since it (Chahal's file) has been closed, there is no place for Yuzi also here because as soon as you suddenly pick him out of the blue, it will be seen as a regressive step," Chopra said.
Off the field, Chahal has also been in the headlines for reports about a possible divorce from his wife, Dhanashree Verma.
Yuzvendra Chahal’s International & IPL career so far
Chahal has been a consistent performer for India, taking 121 wickets in 72 ODIs at an economy rate of 5.26, and 96 wickets in T20Is at an economy of 8.19.
In the IPL, Chahal remains a standout performer. He became the first bowler to claim 205 wickets in 160 matches. During the 2025 IPL mega auction, he was picked by Punjab Kings for a hefty ₹18 crore.
India's squad for Champions Trophy 2025:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh