Chahal also expressed the disappointment of not playing a single T20 World Cup match for India.
Veteran India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal shared that former captain Rohit Sharma explicitly told him he missed out on the 2023 ODI World Cup squad because the team management prioritized batting depth down to number eight and an extra fast bowler.
Chahal took 12 wickets across 8 matches as India’s highest-taking spinner in the 2019 ODI World Cup. However, he was ignored for the 2023 edition on home soil.
The team management preferred spin-bowling all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel (and later Ravichandran Ashwin) who could offer vital lower-order runs. With spots limited, India chose to back Kuldeep Yadav as their primary, in-form wrist-spinner.
Though Chahal admitted that the snub left him dejected, he noted that receiving honest, upfront communication from Rohit allowed him to accept the decision and shift his focus back to enjoying his cricket
“In 2023, when I went to play County, Rohit had told me that we want batters till number eight, so we were going with that. He told me clearly that they were also looking for an extra pacer for the World Cup," Chahal said while speaking on former Indian opener Aakash Chopra’s podcast.
“So it was made clear to me. After the World Cup, I just stopped thinking about selection. In the IPL 2024, I just came to enjoy and didn’t put extra pressure on myself. That season, I did well and Rohit told me he wanted me and we would see in the selection meeting," he added.
Yuzvendra Chahal has fallen out of favour with the national selectors for some time. His last appearance for India was a T20I match against the West Indies in 2023. Though he was part of the squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup, he did not get game time and hasn't been recalled since.
Despite boasting an impressive T20I record (96 wickets in 78 games), Chahal curiously did not feature in a single World Cup game. He was completely sidelined from the squad in 2021, and didn’t play a match during the 2022 edition although he was part of the side.
“I felt worse in 2021 because I wasn’t there at all. In 2022, at least I was in the team. Sometimes you also know the combination may not work. So I didn’t think a lot," Chahal stated.
He appreciated the honesty of then skipper Rohit, who clearly explained that his inclusion depended strictly on specific team combinations and tactical matchups.
“But you always feel that you should have at least played one World Cup game. Rohit had told me that I would play only if a particular combination worked. So at least I had the clarity," he remarked.