Chahal was a notable exclusion from the recent BCCI contracts.
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed his utter disappointment over exclusion of star leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the BCCI central contracts for the 2023–24 season.
On February 28, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the annual central contracts for the 2023–24 season, which has been a hot topic for discussion among the Indian cricket fraternity.
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan’s snub from the list garnered widespread attention. However, several other prominent players, including spinner Chahal, were not also given the central contract by the BCCI, which was a big surprise for Chopra.
The cricket expert stated that Chahal's exclusion hints at a shift in the selection committee's approach, suggesting that they are exploring alternative options in the spin department.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “I am a bit surprised that Yuzi Chahal's name is not there. Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shikhar Dhawan - their names not being there, I can understand. Even Deepak Hooda for that matter.”
He signed off by saying, “But Chahal's name not being there - what does that signify? It seems to indicate that they (BCCI) are looking in a different direction. This is a validation of the theory. He might have had a ray of hope, but it wasn't to be. His name is not there.”
(With PTI Inputs)