Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is enjoying a strong run in England while playing for Northamptonshire in county cricket. After not receiving playing time during India’s successful 2024 T20 World Cup, he was overlooked for white-ball tours to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. Seeking opportunities abroad, he signed with Northamptonshire.
Chahal kicked off his stint with an impressive five-wicket haul in Northamptonshire’s nine-wicket victory over Kent. Although he had a couple of underwhelming performances in the County Championship, he has since rebounded with 18 wickets in his last two matches.
Despite not having made his Test debut for India—where Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel have long held the spotlight—Chahal has made occasional appearances for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy. He is now aiming to secure a spot for India’s tour of England in 2025.
“County cricket is tough cricket. It gave me an opportunity to showcase my skills against a very good standard of cricket. With India touring England next year, I wanted to show how good I am,” Chahal told TOI.
“Firstly, I am very grateful to Brindon sir who gave me an opportunity to play in County cricket, and then the Rajasthan Royal’s coaches introduced me to Krish Patel, a highly-educated 18-year old cricketer who is thought to have a very bright future in the game. I want to see him play internationally and if I can help, I am always there,” he added.
India is set to tour England for a five-match Test series, marking the beginning of the fourth cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).
Chahal competed in county cricket for Kent last year
It has become a common practice for Indian players to travel for county cricket, especially during the domestic off-season. Last season, Chahal played a few matches for Kent in the County Championship, which contributed to a successful domestic season in India, particularly in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he took 18 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 3.70.
In the current county season, several Indian players are making their mark. All-rounder Venkatesh Iyer had a stint with Lancashire, while Jaydev Unadkat and Prithvi Shaw represented Sussex and Northamptonshire, respectively.
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