Team India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has scripted several victories for his country by bamboozling opposition batters with crafty deliveries and sublime execution. Having made his international debut in 2016, the 32-year-old leggie from Haryana rose in the ranks swiftly and soon became an indispensable member of the Indian white-ball side. So far, the veteran spinner has bagged 212 wickets in white-ball cricket for India in 147 matches.
Though Chahal has enjoyed great success in ODIs and T20Is for India, the Rajasthan Royals spinner is yet to get a chance to showcase his skills in red-ball cricket. He has played 33 First-Class matches and bagged 87 wickets in the process. Yet, with the vast pool of players available for selection, Chahal has seldom been even considered for selection in red-ball cricket for India.
The leg-spinner has not given up on his aspiration of representing India in Test matches. Chahal is still harboring his dream and is hopeful of securing the India Test cap in the future.
"Every cricketer has a dream of representing his/her team on the international platform. And they reach the pinnacle when they wear whites and play red-ball cricket. I have a similar dream too. I have achieved a lot in white-ball cricket, but red-ball is still on my checklist. I still have the dream of getting the tag of ‘Test cricketer' next to my name. I try to give my best in domestic and Ranji games so as to fulfill this dream of mine, and I hope to get the opportunity of representing the Indian Test team soon," Chahal said in an interaction with Crictracker.
Interestingly, Chahal has never played a single match for India in T20 World Cup despite being the country's leading wicket-taker in the format. He was snubbed from the 2021 T20 World Cup squad and he didn't play a single match in the 2022 T20 World Cup despite being named in the squad.
"That's fine, you know. Some things are not in your hands, so I don't ponder much upon that. My focus is on giving my best and performing well till the time I'm playing the game. Be it any match, my aim is to give my 100%. Selection is something that is not in our hands. Whether you're playing or not, once you wear the blue jersey and be a part of the squad, it always gives you a sense of confidence. At least you're there, and have to be ready for whatever is coming next," said Chahal.
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