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On April 30, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the Indian team’s roster for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. This much-awaited tournament will kick off on June 2 and be jointly hosted by the USA and West Indies.
The most notable selection in India’s squad was of Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal exhibited outstanding performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, claiming 13 wickets in 10 matches. His remarkable form during this period secured him a position in the team for the esteemed event.
Yuzvendra Chahal expresses his delight after being included in India’s squad
Before the match of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Rajasthan Royals (RR), Chahal, who recently etched his name in history as the first bowler to reach 200 wickets in the IPL, engaged in a discussion with Murali Vijay on Star Sports. During their discussion, Vijay asked Chahal which of his recent achievements he would prefer to be congratulated for first. To this, Chahal answered that being chosen for the World Cup squad was his primary source of pride. He emphasized that earning a spot in India’s lineup was his ‘biggest achievement’ thus far, highlighting that every cricketer aspires to earn national selection after proving themselves in domestic cricket.
“For the World Cup, we play IPL, domestic cricket to get into the Indian team and that is my biggest achievement,” Chahal said on Star Sports.
Notably, Chahal’s last appearance in a T20I match for India was during their tour of the West Indies and the USA in July 2023. While on the West Indies tour, he secured five wickets across five matches. Despite this notable performance, he found himself excluded from the squad. Additionally, he was omitted from the T20I series against Afghanistan earlier in the year. Reflecting on these events, Chahal noted that during his absence from international cricket, he made productive use of his time by taking part in domestic cricket fixtures.
“I think I played there (West Indies) last July, but when I was out of the Indian team. I played domestic T20s and cricket keeps going on,” the 33-year-old stated.
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Tough night for Chahal against Sunrisers Hyderabad
Despite his strong performances in previous matches, Chahal faced difficulties against the SRH batters while playing for RR. Surprisingly, he ended up being the most expensive bowler of the game. Chahal conceded 62 runs in his four overs with an economy rate of 15.50 without claiming any wickets.
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