The cricketing world was taken aback when leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was overlooked for India’s T20I squad playing against Australia, as well as being sidelined for the World Cup. The preference for Kuldeep Yadav, another proficient wrist spinner who consistently played ODIs ahead of Chahal, was a point of constant debate. The left-arm spinner’s ongoing selection was tied to his form and the continuity that the selectors were banking on.
Despite this snub, Chahal, a seasoned campaigner in T20Is, was a popular choice among fans to make a return. The Kul-Cha duo was anticipated to split duties across formats, but contrary to expectations, the selection committee favored the young leggie Ravi Bishnoi over Chahal for the Australian tour.
Amidst the whirlwind of international fixtures, Chahal took to the domestic stage to prove his mettle once again. Representing Haryana in the prestigious Vijay Hazare Trophy – India’s domestic One-Day competition – Chahal made headlines with a stunning performance. In the first game of the tournament, Haryana squared off against Uttarakhand, with Chahal steering the bowling attack and leading his team through a convincing victory.
From his unyielding ten overs, Chahal emerged with remarkable figures, claiming six wickets for a mere 26 runs. Notably, this feat included two maiden overs, as his array of variations continually puzzled the opposition. Alongside his outstanding spell, the leg-spinner dismissed vital batsmen including Jiwanjot Singh, Dikshanshu Negi, Swapnil Singh, Aditya Tare, Akhil Rawat, and Mayank Mishra.
The collective Haryana bowling firepower was on full display as pacer Sumit Kumar and all-rounder Rahul Tewatia chipped in with two wickets each, underscoring a balanced team performance. Uttarakhand tried to mount resistance with wicketkeeper-batsman Aditya Tare scoring an agile 65 from 68 balls and Kunal Chandela adding 47 from 61 balls. Despite these efforts, their side was eventually bundled out for 207 in the 48th over, unable to withstand Haryana’s bowling assault.
The lineups for the day were as follows:
Haryana brought robust experience and emerging talent into their team, with seasoned cricketer Ashok Menaria leading as captain. Harshal Patel, Rahul Tewatia, Himanshu Rana, wicketkeeper Rohit Parmod Sharma, Sumit Kumar, Ankit Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, Nishant Sindhu, Yuvraj Singh, and star of the day, Yuzvendra Chahal, all took the field for Haryana.
Representing Uttarakhand was the aforementioned Aditya Tare, joining him was Akhil Rawat, Deepak Dhapola, Dikshanshu Negi, captain Jiwanjot Singh, Kunal Chandela, Swapnil Singh, Mayank Mishra, Akash Madhwal, Rajan Kumar, and Priyanshu Khanduri.
Though left out of national duties, Chahal’s adept showing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy powerfully reiterated his capabilities. As domestic cricket continues to be the proving ground for players on the fringes, Chahal’s performance serves as a potent reminder of his enduring class and the depth of spin bowling talent to be found in Indian cricket.