For over a decade, Yuzvendra Chahal has been the poster boy of India's white-ball bowling attack. But what many people do not know about the leg-spin maestro is that he has been equally passionate about red-ball cricket and has faced a ton of challenges to carve a niche for himself in the longer format. Chahal, on Friday, announced his retirement from first-class cricket on the social media platform Instagram, saying that playing a first-class match was always a dream for him and he is yet to achieve this feat.

The leg-spinner announced his retirement from red-ball cricket on social media on Friday, October 2, 2026. He stated that he played his last match for Northamptonshire at Lord's, where he bowled in his 49th first-class match and picked up 148 wickets.

“I played my last First-Class match at Lord's; saying these words is emotional as a Test cap was always a dream… But I AM NOT DONE YET,” he posted.

As Yuzvendra Chahal bids adieu to first-class cricket, let us take a look at his five finest spells in the format

1. 6/44 – Haryana vs Hyderabad (Ranji Trophy 2016)

Chahal's crowning glory in domestic first-class cricket comes in the form of a mesmerizing leg-spin display that saw off Hyderabad in Jamshedpur.

The Victims: Balchander Anirudh, Subramaniam Badrinath, Bavanaka Sandeep, Kolla Sumanth, Chama Milind, and Vishal Sharma.

The Impact: Bowling a 27-over spell, Chahal bundled out Hyderabad for a meager 191, bagging 6/44 in the process. The magic continued for the leg-spinner as he led Haryana to an eight-wicket win and picked up the 'Player of the Match' award.

2. 6/118 – Northamptonshire vs Derbyshire (County Championship 2025)

Derbyshire got reintroduced to the magic of Chahal's leg-spin yet again a year later. The leg-spinner displayed his artistry on a docile surface as he sent down a special treat for the Derbyshire batters over a period of 33.2 long and tiring overs.

The Victims: Luis Reece, Harry Came, Brooke Guest, Zak Chappell, Ben Aitchison, and Blair Tickner.

The Impact: Chahal's 6/118 turned out to be his best-ever county figures, completing a brace of wickets in the second innings. The spinner made sure that the game eventually ended in a draw.

3. 5/45 – Northamptonshire vs Derbyshire (County Championship 2024)

County cricket seems to have unlocked a different dimension in Chahal's leg-spin. In fact, his 2024 effort against Derbyshire remains one of the most economical and destructive spells of bowling on English soil.

The Victims: Wayne Madsen, Aneurin Donald, Zak Chappell, Alex Thomson, and Jack Morley.

The Impact: Chahal tore through the Derbyshire lineup in a match-winning 16.3 overs for 5/45. He added 4 more wickets in the second innings, guiding Northamptonshire to a 133-run victory.

4. 5/81 – Haryana vs Andhra (Ranji Trophy 2016)

Chahal's young legs worked tirelessly at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as the leg-spinner provided a special treat for the Andhra batting order on a pace-friendly surface.

The Victims: Prasanth Kumar, Koripalli Sreekanth, Dwaraka Ravi Teja, AG Pradeep, and Bhargav Bhatt.

The Impact: The spinner sent down 34.3 relentless overs to finish with 5/81 as a bonus, along with 3 more wickets in the second innings. Despite a slender victory for Andhra over Haryana, Chahal's endurance on the spinning track was on full display.

5. 5/84 – Northamptonshire vs Durham (County Championship 2026)

Chahal continues to astound with his competitive fire even at the twilight of his red-ball career. He played a special treat for the Durham batting lineup in the second innings at the County Ground in Northampton.

The Victims: Alex Lees, David Bedingham, Matthew Potts, Callum Parkinson, and Ollie Robinson.

The Impact: Completing 5/84 from 26.5 overs (to complement his 4-wicket haul in the first innings), the leg-spinner reaped 9 wickets in the match. Despite a tough chase for Northamptonshire that ended in defeat, Chahal's heroics were on display yet again.

Conclusion

While the white-ball dreams may have fizzled out, Chahal's exploits in the red ballers continue to flourish. As the master spinner turns his attention to a roaring comeback in India's ODI and T20I setups, his white-ball heroics will always hold a special place in the hearts of fans.