Yuzvendra Chahal has announced his retirement from first class cricket, bringing an end to his red ball career after 49 matches.
The veteran leg spinner will continue playing white ball cricket and remains hopeful of earning another opportunity to represent India in ODIs and T20Is.
Yuzvendra Chahal made his first class debut for Haryana in 2009 and finished his career with 148 wickets at an average of 32.27.
Despite playing domestic and county cricket for several years, he never made his Test debut for India, with a place in the Test team remaining an unfulfilled dream.
With several younger spinners competing for opportunities, a return to the Indian team will not be straightforward for Chahal.
His retirement from first class cricket will allow him to focus completely on white ball cricket and continue playing in domestic and franchise competitions.
Chahal played his final first class match for Northamptonshire in the 2026 County Championship and finished the campaign with 21 wickets at an average of 16.14.
He ended his red ball career with a strong season in county cricket despite not becoming a regular in India’s Test plans.
Reflecting on his decision, Chahal said the red ball had a special place in his career and admitted that saying goodbye was emotional as playing Test cricket had always been a dream.
However, Chahal made it clear that his retirement from first class cricket does not mean the end of his playing career. He said he still has the hunger to play for India and wants to earn another opportunity in the ODI and T20 formats.
Chahal has represented India in 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is, with his last ODI appearance coming against New Zealand in January 2023 and his last T20I coming against the West Indies in August 2023. He has never played a Test match for India.
The leg spinner remains active in franchise cricket and in IPL. His decision to retire from first class cricket means his focus will now remain on white ball cricket, where he will look to continue performing and push for another opportunity at the international level.
