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“He has been totally finished” – Aakash Chopra on Yuzvendra Chahal’s exclusion from 2025 Champions Trophy
By SMCS - Jan 22, 2025 8:00 am
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Former player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has added that Yuzvendra Chahal has been ignored while picking recent Indian ODI team despite his stunning record in the format. However, he also stated that the leg-spinner couldn’t have been chosen in the Indian team’s 2025 Champions Trophy squad as it would have been seen as a ‘regressive step.’

Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal

In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “An interesting case is Yuzi Chahal’s. He last played in January 2023. So it’s been two years for him. It’s interesting because Bhuvi would have been expensive and wouldn’t have got wickets in the last 10 matches before he was dropped, but Yuzi Chahal’s numbers are also very good. He has picked up a lot of wickets and was consistently doing well.”

“However, he has been totally finished. His file has been closed. I have got no idea why they did that. Having said that, because it’s been two years since it’s 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,” Chopra again added.

Aaron Finch
Bhuvneshwar Kumar made Aaron Finch his bunny

In the same video, Aakash Chopra also stated that Bhuvneshwar Kumar couldn’t have been picked either as he hasn’t played an ODI in the last three years as well.

“The last ODI Bhuvneshwar Kumar played was in January 2022. He has not played ODI cricket since then. If someone is not in the ODI setup for three years, how can he come? Three years is a long time. If he has not been a part of the team for three years, you guys only would have abused the selectors if they had kept him in the team. Then it would have been seen as a regressive step as to what happened to your other fast bowlers for you to go back to Bhuvi. So there was no place for Bhuvi here,” Aakash Chopra concluded.