Yuzvendra Chahal set to join Northamptonshire county following IPL 2025 (Photo Source - Twitter/X)
India’s star leg-spinner is set to return to England in 2025 to represent Northamptonshire in the One-Day Cup and County Championship. The English county confirmed on Thursday, March 13, that Chahal will be feasible for their Division Two tournament starting June 22, with a home fixture against Middlesex.
Chahal, who will be occupied with Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, is likely to miss the first seven matches of the County Championship, which commences April 4. As IPL is set to kick off, which runs from March 22 to May 25, Chahal will take a month-long break before moving to red-ball cricket in England. His spell concurs with India’s five-match Test series against England, commencing on June 20.
The 33-year-old's return to the side features after a stellar run in the 2024. In his maiden County Championship season, the Haryana cricketer had bagged a tally of 19 wickets, including a career-best 9-99 against Derbyshire. In the One-Day Cup, Chahal outclassed Kent with a five-wicket haul. The spinner wishes to continue the same in the following season.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time here last season, so I’m very happy to be coming back. There are some great people in that dressing room, and I can’t wait to be part of that again. We played some great cricket towards the back end of the season, so hopefully, we can replicate that and pick up some victories,” Chahal was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
One of the best leg-spinners is returning: Darren Lehmann“I am really excited that one of the best leg-spinners in the world is returning to Northamptonshire. He brings invaluable experience and is an absolute gentleman who loves the game. Having him available from mid-June until the end of the season will be fantastic for us,” head coach said.
Chahal will also feature in the Punjab Kings squad in IPL 2025 after the franchise seized him for INR 18 crore, making him the most expensive spinner in the league's history. Punjab will be playing their opening clash of the season against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 25.
