Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has announced his retirement from first-class cricket, but said he still wants to play for India in the ODI and T20 formats.
Chahal played his last first-class game for Northamptonshire against Middlesex in the County Championship Division Two at Lord’s. He picked up figures of 2/23 and 0/34 as Northamptonshire went down by seven wickets.
Chahal announced his decision through an Instagram post, where he looked back at his long association with red-ball cricket. He said the first cricket ball he held was a red one when he was just 10 years old.
He said first-class cricket taught him several important lessons, including patience, character and resilience. He also spoke about the satisfaction of spending long hours on the field while competing for runs and wickets.
Playing his final first-class match at the historic Lord’s was an emotional moment for Chahal. He said getting a Test cap had always been one of his dreams, but that opportunity never came.
Despite that, Chahal said he was happy with his journey and thankful for everything first-class cricket had given him.
“The red ball gave me some of the most beautiful memories of my life, and nothing will ever take that away,” Chahal wrote.
The 35-year-old also made it clear that his retirement from first-class cricket does not mean the end of his international ambitions.
“But I AM NOT DONE YET,” he wrote, adding that his desire to represent India is still strong. Chahal said he believes he still has plenty of cricket left in him and will continue to work towards earning another chance in the ODI and T20 formats.
He also thanked the Haryana Cricket Association and its officials, Ranbir Singh Mahindra and Anirudh Singh Chaudhary, for supporting him throughout his career.
Chahal ended his message by looking back at his journey, from holding his first red ball at the age of 10 to playing his final first-class match at Lord’s, calling it “one hell of a journey.”