Yuzvendra Chahal announces retirement from first-class cricket, eyes white-ball return

Cricknation Update: Yuzvendra Chahal announces retirement from first-class cricket, eyes white-ball return (Source: Northamptonshire CCC) Yuzvendra Chahal announced his retirement from first-class cricket on Friday, October 2, 2026, bringing an end to a red-ball career that spanned 49 matches and yielded 148 wickets.

The leg spinner confirmed via Instagram that he is not moving away from white-ball cricket and intends to pursue opportunities in the ODI and T20 formats. Chahal played his final first-class match for Northamptonshire in the County Championship Division Two against Middlesex at Lord’s, a fixture that concluded on September 26, 2026. He claimed two wickets in that match.

The announcement came at the end of a three-year stint with Northamptonshire, during which he represented the county in English domestic red-ball cricket. “The first cricket ball I ever held was a red ball. I was 10 years old, and back then I had no idea how deeply I would fall in love with this game.

For me, red-ball cricket was never just another format. It was where I learned the meaning of patience, character, resilience and the pure joy of being out there for hours, fighting for every run and every wicket. These words are emotional saying that I played my last first-class match at Lord’s because Test C was always a dream, which I carried with me for many years.

It may not have hpened, but I’m really satisfied with my journey and incredibly grateful for every opportunity I’ve had in this format. The red ball gave me some of the most beautiful memories of my life, and nothing will ever take that away,” Chahal wrote in a post on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal23) What did Chahal’s first-class career look like in numbers?

Chahal’s first-class record reflects his ability to take consecutive wickets in 49 matches. He finished with 148 wickets, registering six five-wicket hauls during that period. His best performance in an innings was 6/44, indicating his ability to take multiple wickets in a single spell on red-ball pitches.

His final pearance at Lord’s, where he took two wickets against Middlesex, served as a fitting venue to close out a format he had pursued alongside his white-ball career. Chahal had represented Haryana in domestic red-ball cricket in India before his county engagements, and he acknowledged the Haryana Cricket Association in his retirement statement for their support throughout his journey in this format. What does Chahal’s white-ball future look like?

Chahal has been clear that his retirement plies only to first-class cricket. He said in his announcement that he believes he has cricket left in him and will work to earn another opportunity in the ODI and T20 formats. His last international pearance was against the West Indies in August 2023 and he has not represented India at the international level since then.

In 152 matches for India in ODIs and T20Is, Chahal took 217 wickets, making him one of the more prolific white-ball spinners to represent the country. He was also a part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning team. At 36, Chahal’s focus now shifts entirely to limited-overs cricket as he looks to add to that international record.

“But I AM NOT DONE YET. The hunger to play for my country is still 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.

A special thank you to the Haryana Cricket Association, Mr. Ranbir Singh Mahindra Sir and Mr. Anirudh Singh Chaudhary Sir, for his constant support, trust and belief throughout my journey.

From a 10-year-old holding his first red ball to playing his final First-Class game, it has been one hell of a journey,” he added.