Chahal retires from first-class cricket, eyes India return

Yuzvendra Chahal has announced his retirement from first-class cricket, ending his career in the red-ball format after his final match for Northamptonshire at Lord’s. The Indian leg-spinner said he still hopes to earn another opportunity to represent India in one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals, but no return to the national side has been confirmed. Chahal announced the decision in an Instagram post on October 2, describing his final first-class appearance as emotional because playing Test cricket had been a long-held dream. He said he was grateful for his career in the format, which he credited with teaching him patience and resilience. Chahal has never played a Test for India. The 36-year-old finished with 148 wickets in 49 first-class matches, according to reports. In his final first-class season with Northamptonshire, he took 21 wickets in five matches. His last match was against Middlesex at Lord’s, where he said his first-class career had come to an end. Chahal also said he believes he has enough cricket left to seek another chance in India’s limited-overs teams. His ambition is a stated goal, not a selection or confirmed comeback.