Chahal’s final first-class appearance came for Northamptonshire against Middlesex in the County Championship Division Two at Lord’s, with the match concluding on September 26. He took two wickets in his final red-ball outing, ending a three-year spell with the English county.
Reflecting on his decision, Chahal said red-ball cricket played an important role in shaping his career and taught him valuable lessons about patience, resilience and character. He also revealed that playing a Test match for India had always been a dream, although that opportunity never came.
The 36-year-old finished his first-class career with 148 wickets, including six five-wicket hauls. His best innings figures were 6/44. He represented Haryana in domestic first-class cricket before continuing his red-ball career with Northamptonshire.
However, Chahal made it clear that retirement from first-class cricket does not mean the end of his ambitions in international cricket.
“But I AM NOT DONE YET. The hunger to play for my country is still very much alive. I believe I have the cricket left in me, and I will give everything I have to earn another opportunity in the One-Day and T20 formats,” Chahal wrote.
Chahal last played for India in August 2023 against West Indies. Since then, he has been away from the international setup, despite remaining an experienced white-ball performer.
He has taken 217 wickets in 152 ODI and T20I appearances for India and was part of the squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup.
With his red-ball career now over, Chahal’s focus will be firmly on limited-overs cricket as he continues his pursuit of another chance to represent India.
