Haryana were without senior spinner Yuzvendra Chahal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final against Jharkhand after the leg-spinner was ruled out due to illness. Chahal confirmed that he was unable to take the field as he is suffering from both dengue and chikungunya, which prevented his participation in the summit clash.
The experienced bowler, who was part of Haryana’s SMAT squad this season, had earlier expressed his desire to feature in the final but was advised otherwise on medical grounds. According to Chahal, doctors instructed him to prioritise rest and recovery, ruling out any possibility of returning to action for the title match.
The leg-spinner addressed his absence through a post on social media, explaining the situation and extending his support to his teammates ahead of the final.
“Wishing my team Haryana all the very best for the SMAT finals. I wished to be a part of the team but unfortunately I am down with dengue and chikungunya, which have really taken a toll on my health. The doctors have asked to focus only on rest and recovery. I’ll be back to the field and bowling to my full strength soon,” Chahal posted on X.
Chahal had played Haryana’s first three matches of the tournament, picking up three wickets during his appearances. However, his health issues forced him to miss the remainder of the group-stage fixtures as well as the Super League phase, ultimately keeping him out of the final as well.
Jharkhand beat Haryana in SMAT final
Jharkhand registered a comfortable 69-run win against Haryana to register their maiden SMAT title in history. Captain Ishan Kishan led from the front, scoring 101 runs off 49 balls, while Kumar Kushagra played a blistering knock of 81 runs off 38 balls. Anukul Roy and Robin Minz were incredible too, as Jharkhand posted 262 runs on the board in the first innings.
Haryana, in response, tried their best but chasing 263 runs is never an easy task. They were bundled for 193 runs, after Sushant Mishra and Bal Krishna picked up three wickets each.
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