‘I felt really bad, was down for two-three days’ – Yuzvendra Chahal on T20 World Cup snub

Nothing really went Team India’s way in the T20 World Cup 2021 as they got knocked out of the league stage. The Men in Blue suffered humiliating defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand which made sure they won’t qualify for the semi-finals. With the Virat Kohli-led side not living up to the expectations, several fans and experts slammed the inaugural-edition champions.

The absence of Yuzvendra Chahal was pointed out as one of the main reasons behind India’s ouster. The veteran leg-spinner was shockingly dropped from the squad ahead of the tournament. BCCI’s chief selector Chetan Sharma had said that the committee preferred spinners who could bowl fast and hence, the likes of Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy were picked over Chahal.

My wife and family were constantly encouraging me: Yuzvendra Chahal

Interestingly, Chahal enjoyed a sensational run in the second leg of Indian Premier League (IPL) which was played on UAE tracks. While many believed Chahal would be reinstated in the team, nothing as such happened. Speaking of the setback, the 31-year-old admitted being upset as he was a regular face in the team since 2017. However, his family and friends helped the leggie gets his confidence back.

“I was not dropped in four years and then I got dropped for such a marquee event. I felt really bad. I was down for two-three days. But then I knew the second leg of the IPL was still around the corner. I went back to my coaches and spoke to them a lot,” Chahal said in a conversation with the Times of India.

“My wife and family were constantly encouraging me. My fans kept putting out motivational posts. That buoyed me. I decided to back my strengths and overcome my confusion. I couldn’t have sulked for long because that would have impacted my IPL form,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chahal is set to don the national colours once again as he’s a part of India’s squad for the upcoming three-mach T20I series against New Zealand, starting from November 17. The leg-spinner will definitely have a point to prove and it would be interesting to see how he performs. However, the Kiwis, who finished as the runners up in the T20 World Cup 2021, would be determined to do well.