Yuzvendra Chahal announces retirement from first-class cricket

Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has announced his retirement from first-class cricket, effective October 2, 2026. The 36-year-old concluded his red-ball career playing for Northamptonshire in his final match against Middlesex at Lord’s.

Chahal finished his first-class career with 148 wickets in 49 matches at an average of 32.27. His final stint in the 2026 County Championship was highly productive, where he took 21 wickets in five matches at an average of 16.14. Despite his success in limited-overs formats, Chahal never earned a Test cap for India, a goal he described as a lifelong dream that remained unfulfilled.

While stepping away from the red-ball format, Chahal confirmed he intends to continue playing white-ball cricket, including ODIs and T20s, expressing a desire to earn further call-ups for the Indian national team.