The Unexplained Decline in the Career of Yuzvendra Chahal-BCCI and Team Management in the Dock

Yuzvendra Chahal was once the most promising member of the Indian bowling squad. Now, he seems to have just disappeared into thin air. Media is filled with rumors and criticisms regarding the reason behind this phenomenon. Former cricketer Aakash Chopra said he feared the reason for the non-selection of the star leg-spinner Chahal was at least one of the reasons for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team management "finishing" his career. He has an excellent record, especially in the 2020 decade, and hasn't played for India in any format since August 2023, which brings several questions of why he was being dropped.

Chahal's exclusion has raised eyebrows, especially given that his statistics remained strong, even when he was dropped from the One Day International (ODI) squad over two years ago. According to Chopra, the leg-spinner's numbers were consistently impressive, making his absence from the ODI squad puzzling. Chahal had delivered solid performances over the years, taking 121 wickets in just 72 ODIs. Despite these achievements, his career trajectory seems to have stalled without clear explanation.

He not only did not come close to seeing some play from India in whatever capacity it happens recently but has skipped the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25 also which could've probably made an effort to further flush away the ambiguity around his availability with India well inside the void. He also talked about it on his YouTube channel where he clarifies that he never thought that situation for Yuzvendra Chahal has totally been finished. His file has been closed. I do not know why they did that.

The turning point for the absence of Chahal was in January 2023 when he last played for India and since then, he has been out of the field with no official communication regarding the reasons behind this exclusion. This long gap has made the world think that he may not be available for any tournament in the coming near future, such as the Champions Trophy 2025. Chopra felt that as two years had passed since Chahal's last match, he must have been an outcast for the selection committee also.

But that does not take away the fact: why was Chahal kept so methodically out of the squad? All those wickets taken with solid economy rates through the 2020s only showed the reliability and effectiveness of this spinner, and still, no word of what is behind it, while BCCI and the management just went on and made it look as if no such explanation existed.

There are other spin-bowling options available for India's squad in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which has garnered great fan interest and specialist attention. Some of the selected players include Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. However, Chahal has not even been in contention. Chopra says the management is of the view that the team has made it more and more impossible for him to even think about playing without Chahal again, even if he regains his form. The moment you pick him out of the blue, it will be a step back, Chopra said.

Another layer to the enigma of why Chahal has been out is his personal life, report suggested as recent as he has parted ways from wife Dhanashree Verma. Perhaps a reason that explained why Chahal does not feature for his state team in domestic competitions such as Vijay Hazare Trophy. It does not answer why it is so for this long. While it may not be secret that others had speculated about why the BCCI and team management benched him to reasons that stretched far beyond personal life, without ever having a word or explanation coming from the concerned party, they are but still rumors.

However, with all fans and experts still wondering what could be behind this exclusion, Yuzvendra Chahal is still one case out of a larger concern for poor management in Indian cricket. It was while some other people were enjoying opportunities to develop their skills that, inexplicably, others on a track record remained out of the mix. While vague and unclear decisions regarding those who remain out of this mix have continued to exclude Chahal, some people have become curious about a clear set of criteria guiding BCCI and management regarding different selection processes.

This forms one of the mysteries behind exclusion from the Indian cricket team for Yuzvendra Chahal. It ends on a sour note of disappointment. A performer par excellence, especially in the ODIs and T20s, has vanished without notice into the background. There is no explanation behind the benching, however, and the debate remains an ever-present reminder of how complicated and challenging the management of players in cricket can be, with many still wondering whether Chahal's time with India is finished or whether he might have yet another chance to return.