Yuzvendra Chahal sweats it out in nets as PBKS gear up for IPL 2025 [Watch]

Ace Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal worked hard on Day 2 of the Punjab Kings' (PBKS) pre-season preparatory camp ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The 34-year-old is set to ply trade for the Punjab-based franchise after being picked for a whopping ₹18 crore at the IPL 2025 auction.

PBKS have kicked off their preparation early for the season. Many players, including Chahal, are part of their pre-season camp. On Friday, January 24, the franchise posted a few Instagram stories, giving fans a glimpse of their training.

In the videos, Chahal was seen doing some fitness drills and bowling in the nets. You can watch the clips of the crafty bowler's practice session below:

Yuzvendra Chahal was released by Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The veteran cricketer was in great demand at the event and bagged a record deal with PBKS that made him the most expensive spinner in the league's history.

Apart from Chahal, the other PBKS players who attended Day 2 of the side's pre-season camp were Harpreet Brar, Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Priyansh Arya, and Pravin Dubey. Punjab are set to have a new think tank this season, with Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting named as their new captain and head coach, respectively.

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"He has been totally finished" - Aakash Chopra on Yuzvendra Chahal's absence from India's white-ball teams

Yuzvendra Chahal has not found a place in an Indian playing XI since August 2023. While he was part of the Men in Blue's 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad, he didn't play a single game in the showpiece event.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra recently opined that Chahal was sidelined despite good performances. Expressing his surprise at the leg spinner losing his place in the national team, the cricketer-turned-commentator said in his YouTube video:

"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."

Yuzvendra Chahal is India's second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is, with 96 scalps from 79 innings. He has claimed the most wickets in IPL history, picking up 205 wickets in 159 innings.