India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal announced his retirement from first-class cricket on Friday. He finished with 148 wickets from 49 matches. Chahal said, "The hunger to play for my country is still very much alive." He now plans to focus on white-ball cricket to earn another opportunity with India.

India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Friday announced his retirement from first-class cricket, bringing an end to his red-ball career while keeping his hopes of returning to the national team in ODIs and T20Is alive.

Chahal, who never played a Test for India despite carrying the dream throughout his career, said his final First-Class appearance at Lord's marked the end of a deeply meaningful chapter. However, the veteran spinner stressed that he is not ready to walk away from international cricket.

RED-BALL JOURNEY

Chahal began his first-class career with Haryana in 2009 and finished with 148 wickets from 49 matches at an average of 32.27.

His most recent first-class stint came with Northamptonshire in the 2026 County Championship. Chahal claimed 21 wickets at 16.14 in Division Two, finishing with the second-best average among bowlers who took at least 20 wickets.

His final appearance came against Middlesex at Lord's, where Northamptonshire suffered a seven-wicket defeat that ended their promotion hopes.

Reflecting on his decision, Chahal said the red ball had been part of his cricketing journey from a very young age.

"The first cricket ball I ever held was a red ball. I was 10 years old, and I had no idea then how deeply I would fall in love with this game," Chahal wrote in an Instagram post.

He said red-ball cricket taught him patience, character and resilience, while admitting that playing Test cricket for India had always been a dream.

"A Test cap was always a dream, one that I carried with me for many years. It may not have happened, but I am genuinely content with the journey I have had and incredibly grateful for every opportunity that came my way in this format," he added.

INDIA DREAM LIVES

While Chahal has drawn the curtains on first-class cricket, he made it clear that his international ambitions remain intact.

"But I AM NOT DONE YET," he wrote, underlining his desire to continue playing white-ball cricket and earn another opportunity with India.

"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 has represented India in 72 ODIs and 80 T20Is, taking 121 and 96 wickets respectively. His last international appearance came in a T20I against the West Indies in August 2023.

Although he has fallen out of favour with India's selectors, Chahal continues to play List A and T20 cricket. He is also the IPL's all-time leading wicket-taker and currently represents Punjab Kings.

His red-ball chapter is now over, but Chahal believes there is still more cricket left in him, with the prospect of another India call-up firmly in his sights.