Indian star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is constantly among the wickets and has added more variations to his arsenal, making him more lethal. The Indian spinner has been in fine form in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League, where he surpassed Dwayne Bravo to become the highest wicket-taker in the cash-rich league.
With a lot of cricket to be played in sub-continental conditions for the next six months, Rohit Sharma-led side will demand at least two to three spinners in the playing XI, as these two players can bowl in tandem to make it difficult for the opponents in the middle over.
Though he has performed well for India, he could not produce some vital breakthroughs against high-quality opponents.
Here are five better spinners than Yuzvendra Chahal, who deserves a place in the Indian Cricket team.
1. Ravi Bishnoi
Ravi Bishnoi was called up to the Indian side last year following impressive performances for Lucknow Super Giants In IPL 2022 but was out of the Indian team for T20 World Cup as the team went in with experienced Ravichandran Ashwin for the marquee and would be a valuable addition to the Indian team for the West Indies series. Bishnoi has picked up 16 wickets in 10 T20I outings for the Indian team so far.
The youngster has got lethal googly in his bowling and has been a consistent performer for India in junior levels, and he will look to do well for the Indian team in the future series the Rajasthan spinner is also a live wire in the field, as fields on the tough spots for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
2. Varun Chakravarthy
Indian mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy had a massive turnaround in the IPL 2023, as he performed exceptionally well for the Kolkata Knight Riders this year. As his variation and accuracy were on point this make it difficult for the batter to pick him, especially on the pitches, that had some assistance for the Spinner. The 31-year-old has been a standout bowler for the KKR picking up 20 wickets from 14 games for his side.
Varun Chakravarthy last played for India in 2021 in the T20 World Cup after which he was dropped and never called up again. The Tamil Nadu spinner had a disastrous outing in IPL 2022, as he picked up just six wickets from 11 games and was expensive with an economy rate of 8.51, came back stronger this season to produce some match-winning performance for the Nitish Rana-led side
3. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin can a comeback into the ODI cricket setup as he played exceptionally well for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023. The Indian veteran has been an asset for India ever since making his debut in 2011 against West Indies.
He has been the standout performer at home and can be handy for the ODI World Cup later this year. He has improved his record in white ball cricket over the last few years to provide some crucial breakthroughs for his team and the lower-order batter can play some vital cameos down the order for the Men in Blue in ODI Cricket.
His recent form in the Indian conditions has been encouraging and He was also the leading wicket-taker for India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy at – 25 wickets and also has picked 14 wickets for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023.
4. Rahul Chahar
Rahul Chahar was touted next big thing in Indian cricket following his massive performance for the Mumbai Indians in the cash-rich league. He was the main leg-spinner for India in the T20 World Cup 2021 but could not replicate his performance for the Indian team at the highest level.
He found himself out of the Indian team following their exit in the 2021 T20 World Cup as he did not get to play a single international match for India in 2022. Though he could not make an impactful performance in recent times, he has got the greater ability to play for India on a bigger stage if manages to find his consistency in bowling. Many experts rate it as one of the emerging spinners in the country.
5. Mayank Markande
Mayank Markande has been one of the bright spots for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2023, as he backed his strength to pick crucial wickets in the middle overs for his team, despite less support from the bowlers in the other end being a vital cog in their force in 2023. He picked up 12 wickets in 10 games at the impressive economy of 7.89.
Markande Markande went on to make his India debut in a T20I against Australia in 2019 but found his way out of the Indian team. He has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket across formats and found his rhythm for the Aiden Markram-led side as he has varied his pace while attacking the stumps, taking crucial wickets for his team at a crucial juncture.