Star IPL spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was ruled out of the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) final between Haryana and Jharkhand in Pune on Thursday, December 18. The 35-year-old shared on X that he is battling dengue and chikungunya. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) player is now concentrating on his recovery ahead of IPL 2026.
Wishing Haryana well for the final, Chahal posted on X:
“Wishing my team Haryana all the very best for the SMAT finals. I wished to be a part of the team, but unfortunately, I am down with dengue and chikungunya, which have really taken a toll on my health.”
“The doctors have asked to focus only on rest and recovery. I’ll be back to the field and bowling to my full strength soon,” he added.
Wishing my team Haryana all the very best for the SMAT finals. I wished to be a part of the team but unfortunately I am down with dengue and chikungunya, which have really taken a toll on my health.
The doctors have asked to focus only on rest and recovery.
I’ll be back to the…— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) December 18, 2025
Chahal’s absence is a significant blow for Haryana, as he has taken 384 wickets in 229 T20Is. He is also the leading wicket-taker in the IPL with 221 wickets and has claimed 96 scalps in 80 T20Is overall. The leg-spinner picked up two wickets in three matches for Haryana in the SMAT.
With the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy scheduled from December 24 to January 18, it remains uncertain whether Chahal will return to action before the next IPL season. Chahal last represented India in a T20I against the West Indies in August 2023 but was part of the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad. PBKS retained him ahead of IPL 2026 for a hefty INR 18 crore.
Ishan Kishan, Kumar Katikeya Give Jharkhand Fast Start In 2025 SMAT Final vs Haryana
A composed batting effort from captain Ishan Kishan and Kumar Kushagra has put Jharkhand in control against Haryana in the 2025 SMAT final. At the time of reporting, Jharkhand stood at 109/1 after nine overs, with Kishan scoring 69 off 30 balls and Kushagra contributing 37 off 22. Anshul Kamboj claimed the wicket of Virat Singh for just two runs, giving Haryana an early breakthrough.
Haryana thrashed Hyderabad by a huge 124-run margin in their previous match, while Jharkhand narrowly lost to Andhra by nine runs. The defeat ended Jharkhand’s nine-match winning streak in the T20 tournament. Both teams are aiming to claim their first SMAT title.
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