"He is the No. 1 wrist spinner in the world" - PBKS star makes massive statement on Team India spinner ahead of IPL 2025

Punjab Kings (PBKS) leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has hailed his Team India mate Kuldeep Yadav as the world's best wrist spinner ahead of the 2025 IPL season. Chahal and Kuldeep set the world on fire with their spin bowling in the middle overs in the back half of the 2010s and the early 2020s.

However, with India prioritizing spin-bowling all-rounders over multiple specialists, Kuldeep has gone ahead of Chahal in the white-ball pecking order. The former recently helped India win the 2025 Champions Trophy title, following his heroics in their triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

When asked about his potential return to the Indian side, Chahal said in an interview (via Hindustan Times):

"I don’t think about what is not in my hands. Right now, he ( Kuldeep) is the No. 1 wrist spinner in the world. It shows in the way he is bowling both in IPL and international cricket."

Chahal last played for India in the West Indian tour in 2023, ahead of the ODI World Cup. While he was part of the Indian squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup, the 34-year-old did not feature in a single game.

Ever since, Chahal has been excluded from the Indian side in both white-ball formats, with the likes of Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakaravarthy leapfrogging him.

"We enjoy a great bonding, on and off the field" - Yuzvendra Chahal

Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have shared an incredible relationship on and off the field [Credit: Getty]

Yuzvendra Chahal spoke glowingly about his relationship and bowling partnership with Kuldeep Yadav. The duo's last match together for India came in the fifth and final T20I of the 2023 series in the West Indies.

Chahal endured a disappointing outing with figures of 0 for 51 in four overs as India suffered a 2-3 series defeat.

"I have loved bowling with Kuldeep. We enjoy a great bonding, on and off the field. It shows. It was fun bowling with him because we have a similar approach to bowling. Both of us love to attack. It was also partnership bowling. When one of us would go for runs, the other would make it tighter from the other end. We always trusted each other," said Chahal in the aforementioned interview.

Despite being out of favor with the Indian side, Chahal remains a force to be reckoned with in the IPL. The league's all-time leading wicket-taker (205) was picked up by PBKS at the 2025 auction for a whopping ₹18 crores and will be in action next when the 2025 season begins on March 22.