'His file has been closed' - Aakash Chopra reacts to Yuzvendra Chahal's Champions Trophy snub

Yuzvendra Chahal had been a vital cog in India's white-ball setup for several years since he made his debut in June 2016. However, the veteran leg-spinner has slipped down and out of the pecking order in recent times, having played his last international match in August 2023.

Chahal failed to get a spot in India's 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, which begins next month. It has been almost two years since he played his last ODI match. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, picked Kuldeep Yadav as the only specialist spinner for the marquee event. Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar have bee named as the spin-bowling all-rounders.

Aakash Chopra sad that he cannot understand the selection committee's decision to completely ignore Chahal for the past couple of years, despite some of his excellent performances for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy.

“Yuzvendra Chahal has been totally finished. His file has been closed. I have got no idea why they did that. It is an interesting case. He last played in January 2023. So it's been two years for him. His numbers are also very good. He has picked up a lot of wickets and was consistently doing well," explained Chopra on his YouTube channel while analysing India's picks for the global tournament.

Chopra feels that if Chahal somehow manages to squeeze his way into the national team, it will be described as a regressive move from the selectors by many.

“Because it's been two years since it (Chahal's file) has been closed, there is no place for Yuzi also here because as soon as you suddenly pick him out of the blue, it will be seen as a regressive step,” he went on to explain, indicating that Chahal was never really in the picture for this tournament either.

Also Read: 'Things change very quickly, that's the reality' - Aakash Chopra on Rinku Singh's underutilization in T20Is

When India has opted for a leg-spinner, they have preferred Ravi Bishnoi over Chahal. The youngster has done a fairly decent job in the opportunities he has received. To make matters worse for Chahal, Haryana also dropped him from their squad during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The 34-year-old will represent Punjab Kings in the upcoming auction and will be eager to make an impact.