Shillong, October 1: Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has come to terms with his exclusion from India’s squad for the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, marking the third global event he has missed.
Chahal, who had been a regular in India’s white-ball squads since 2016, expressed his understanding of the limited spots available for World Cup squads and his desire to move forward.
As per IANS, Chahal was not part of India’s 15-member squad for the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, despite having played in the 2019 Men’s ODI World Cup in England, where he took 12 wickets.
He stated, “I understand that only fifteen players can be a part because it’s a World Cup, where you can’t take 17 or 18. I do feel a little bad, but my motto in life is to move on. I’m used to it now… it’s been three World Cups.”
Chahal has not featured in an ICC tournament since the 2019 World Cup. While he missed the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup, he was part of the squad for the subsequent edition in Australia but did not get a chance to play.
Chahal, after his exclusion from the 2023 ODI World Cup squad, briefly joined Kent for a three-game county championship stint in England. He is now focused on playing Test cricket for India and is eager to make a mark with the red ball.
He mentioned, “That’s why I came here [to Kent] to play because I want to play cricket somewhere, somehow. I’m getting a chance here with a red ball, and I seriously want to play red ball for India. So it was a good experience for me.”
Chahal views the competition among spinners in the Indian ODI side, which includes Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin for the World Cup, as motivation to perform well and earn a recall.
He said, “I don’t think too much in that sense (about competing with other spinners in the Indian team) because I know if I perform well, I’ll play. Someone or the other will eventually replace you in the future. That time will come someday.”
Chahal sees the competition as a challenge that pushes him to work harder and contribute to the team’s success, emphasizing that India winning is the ultimate goal, regardless of his individual participation.