Aakash Chopra’s Big Statement on Yuzvendra Chahal: Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has shared his thoughts on the team selected for the Champions Trophy. The former opener discussed Yuzvendra Chahal’s exclusion from the squad and believes that the BCCI has ruined Chahal’s career. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra expressed his surprise at Chahal not being included in the Champions Trophy team and directly stated that Chahal’s career is “over.” He also mentioned that Chahal’s statistics as a leg spinner were impressive, even when he was dropped from ODIs two years ago.
Chahal in the Spotlight for Alleged Personal Issues
Yuzvendra Chahal has been in the news recently due to his reported separation from his wife, Dhanashree Verma. Because of this, he did not play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25.
Aakash Chopra’s View on Chahal’s Career
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra gave his opinion on Chahal being left out of the Champions Trophy squad. He said, “Chahal’s career is over. His file has been closed. I don’t understand why they did this. It’s an interesting case. He last played in January 2023, so it has been two years. His stats are very good—he has taken many wickets and performed consistently. Yet, the selectors are not picking him, which shows they have stopped thinking about him.”
Karun Nair, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson – should they have been picked for the Champions Trophy?
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
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 20, 2025
Chahal’s ODI Career and Lack of Opportunities
Chahal has taken 121 wickets in 72 ODIs but has not played for India in any format since August 2023. He also did not participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25. Chopra pointed out, “Not playing for two years means he was never a contender for the Champions Trophy 2025. Since Chahal’s file was closed two years ago, there is no room for him now. If they select him suddenly, it would be seen as a backward step.”
India’s Spin-Bowling Options for Champions Trophy
India has selected four spin-bowling options for the Champions Trophy: Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. The Champions Trophy is scheduled to begin on February 19, with India’s first match against Bangladesh on February 20.