Yuzvendra Chahal, Riyan Parag among IPL stars to play unique 25-over tournament in Lucknow ahead of IPL 2025: Reports

T20 World Cup 2024 winner Yuzvendra Chahal will play in a unique 25-over tournament in Lucknow just before IPL 2025. The competition's name is Shani's Trophy, and it will also feature other IPL stars, namely Riyan Parag and Rahul Tewatia.

Shani's Trophy is a BCCI-approved tournament taking place in February. It will be a 10-team tournament, with two matches happening daily. The competition will feature a mix of retired cricketers, active capped Indian players, and also Ranji Trophy stars.

Sharing details about Shani's Trophy, the tournament President Mr. Sumit Shukla said (via News18):

"We are thrilled to bring this unique format to life in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and the Cricket Association of Lucknow. With the backing of the BCCI and the participation of some of the finest cricketers, we aim to deliver an unforgettable cricketing experience for fans."

Lucknow will host the entire tournament. The organizers have also announced former Indian cricketer Chetan Sharma as the brand ambassador of Shani's Trophy.

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Yuzvendra Chahal missed out on India's squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was a part of India's squad that won the T20 World Cup trophy last year in the West Indies and the USA. However, the team management has ignored him for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 mega event in Pakistan and UAE.

Although Chahal has enormous experience of playing cricket in UAE, the selectors have preferred four other spinners over him. Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar will be India's spin options at the upcoming mega event.

Yuzvendra Chahal has been away from the cricket field for quite some time as well. He has not played a single match in 2025 so far. It will be exciting to see how he performs in Shani's Trophy before IPL 2025.