Yuzvendra Chahal to play in County Championship: Decoding his stats
Discarded Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is set to make his County debut for Kent, reported Times of India. Chahal will reportedly play three four-day games for the team and BCCI has granted him the NOC for the same. Notably, Chahal has been dropped from India's squad for the ongoing Asia Cup and the ICC Cricket World Cup in October-November. Here are further details.
Chahal to play three four-day games
"The Kent County Cricket Club will make an official announcement regarding this development soon. Chahal will play three four-day games for them," said a source in the BCCI. "The BCCI has granted NOC to him to play County cricket." Chahal's compatriots Sai Sudarshan, Jayant Yadav, and Umesh Yadav will also appear in the County Championship. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh also represented Kent last year.
Here are his First-Class numbers
Chahal has never represented India in Test cricket. The 33-year-old has made only 33 First-Class appearances in his career, claiming 87 wickets at an average of 35.25. The tally includes two fifers. His last appearance in red-ball cricket came for Haryana in the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy. Chahal snapped just three wickets in two games in the season at 92.33.
It is disappointing to miss out on selection: Chahal
Though Chahal is gutted following the WC snub, he is keen to return to the Indian team. "Naturally, it is very disappointing to miss out on any selection for India. As a cricketer, we must accept that some things don't always go our way," he told TOI. "I must continue to try my best and hopefully my performances will justify selection again for India."
Just two ODI appearances in 2023
Chahal, who was India's lead spinner in white-ball cricket a couple of years ago, suddenly finds himself out of the scheme of things. Notably, he has played just two of India's 14 ODIs in 2023, returning with three wickets. In nine T20Is this year, he has claimed nine wickets (ER: 8.72). Kuldeep Yadav has displaced him as India's primary spinner in white-ball cricket.
Here are his overall international numbers
Chahal has bagged 121 scalps across 72 ODI appearances. He averages a laud-worthy 27.13 and has maintained an economy of 5.27. The tally includes two fifers. The veteran is India's highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket, having claimed 96 wickets in 80 games at an economy rate of 8.19. He owns a six-wicket haul in T20Is, 6/25 versus England in 2017.
