# Rahul Chahar
**Rahul Chahar** (Rahul Desraj Chahar, born 1999 in Bharatpur, Rajasthan) is an Indian cricketer who bowls right-arm leg break and googly (A leg-spinner's delivery that spins the opposite way, fooling batters). He plays for the Indian national team in white-ball cricket, for [Rajasthan](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajasthan) in domestic cricket, and was acquired by [Chennai Super Kings](https://www.edgepedia.org/chennai-super-kings) for the 2026 IPL season after previous stints with [Rising Pune Supergiant](https://www.edgepedia.org/rising-pune-supergiant), Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.[1](https://www.ipl.com/player/rahul-chahar)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth | Rahul Desraj Chahar, born 1999, Bharatpur, Rajasthan; right-handed batter, leg break and googly bowler[1](https://www.ipl.com/player/rahul-chahar) • [2](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/players/66823-rahul-chahar-profile) |
| International debut | T20I debut against West Indies at Providence in 2019; ODI debut against Sri Lanka in July 2021[3](https://images.icc-cricket.com/image/upload/prd/muhftkbnhgzaqtkj64ol.pdf) • [4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils) |
| International caps | One ODI and six T20Is as of January 2024[4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils) |
| IPL titles | Part of Mumbai Indians' IPL-winning squads in 2019 and 2020[5](https://epaper.morningindia.in/uploads/epaper/2026-03/69c6866ca4589.pdf) |
| First-class record | 101 wickets in 27 first-class matches[5](https://epaper.morningindia.in/uploads/epaper/2026-03/69c6866ca4589.pdf) |
| 2021 World Cup selection | Named in India's 2021 T20 World Cup squad ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal because the team management wanted a legspinner quicker through the air[4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils) |
| County cricket | Signed by Surrey for the final eight games of the 2026 County Championship after a short spell in 2025[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c17vedqr4p8o) |
## Early career in Rajasthan
Chahar made his first-class debut for Rajasthan against Odisha in November 2016, when he was 16 years old, and the season was framed as preparation for the 2017 Under-19 World Cup.[7](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/news/from-rajasthans-lanes-to-mumbai-indians-frontline-spinner-rahul-chahar) Despite the early breakthrough, he was not picked for the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup and was kept only as a stand-by player.[8](https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/players/107512-rahul-chahar-playerprofile)
His domestic breakout came in 2018-19. He took 41 wickets in 10 first-class games that season, and then impressed on India A debut with 14 wickets at 19.57 in two red-ball games against Sri Lanka A.[4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils) In the same season he was the leading wicket-taker for Rajasthan in the [Vijay Hazare Trophy](https://www.edgepedia.org/vijay-hazare-trophy), India's one-day competition, with 20 wickets in nine matches, which drew the national selectors' attention.[3](https://images.icc-cricket.com/image/upload/prd/muhftkbnhgzaqtkj64ol.pdf)
## IPL career
Chahar played for Rising Pune Supergiant in IPL 2017, sharing a dressing room with [MS Dhoni](https://www.edgepedia.org/ms-dhoni) and Steven Smith, and made his T20 debut in that competition with one wicket.[8](https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/players/107512-rahul-chahar-playerprofile) He joined the [Mumbai Indians](https://www.edgepedia.org/mumbai-indians) in 2018 and became the franchise's frontline spinner.[2](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/players/66823-rahul-chahar-profile) He returned 13 wickets in 13 matches in IPL 2019, which brought the India call-up, and followed with strong seasons in 2020 and 2021 as Mumbai won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020.[4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils) • [5](https://epaper.morningindia.in/uploads/epaper/2026-03/69c6866ca4589.pdf) In the 2021 season his best figures included 4 for 27 and 3 for 19.[9](https://crickettaken.in/player/rahul-chahar/rahul-chahar-middle-overs-legspin-quicker-through-air)
A data-driven Crictracker analysis of Indian spinners in the IPL placed Chahar first among wicket-takers on a composite of wickets per game, strike rate, and average, with 2.20 wickets per game, a strike rate of 10.90, and an average of 11.90.[10](https://www.crictracker.com/a-comprehensive-data-driven-analysis-who-are-the-best-indian-spinners-in-the-ipl/)
After Mumbai, he moved to [Punjab Kings](https://www.edgepedia.org/punjab-kings) and later Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2025, before Chennai Super Kings acquired him for the 2026 season.[1](https://www.ipl.com/player/rahul-chahar)
## Bowling style and the 2021 World Cup selection
Chahar's stock deliveries are the leg break, googly, and flipper, and he largely uses the first two in T20 cricket; his full bag also includes a back-of-the-hand leg break and a top spinner.[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/india-west-indies-tour-a-spin-army-for-all-seasons-5843339/lite/) • [12](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/114847/rahul-chahar-the-wily-undercard-amidst-the-main-eventers) Compared with [Yuzvendra Chahal](https://www.edgepedia.org/yuzvendra-chahal), a fellow leg-spinner with essentially the same variations, Chahar has a quicker, whippier action and is quicker through the air than Chahal in the sense that his deliveries arrive flatter and faster.[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/india-west-indies-tour-a-spin-army-for-all-seasons-5843339/lite/) • [16](https://sports.ndtv.com/icc-t20-world-cup-2021/t20-world-cup-chief-selector-chetan-sharma-explains-why-rahul-chahar-was-picked-over-yuzvendra-chahal-in-india-squad-2535013) • [17](https://cricxtasy.news/analysis/chahar-over-chahal-masterstroke-or-blunder/)
**The 2021 selection.** In September 2021 India named its T20 World Cup squad and left out Chahal, who had been the country's first-choice wrist spinner for most of four years. The stated reasoning was specific: the selectors wanted a spinner who bowled quicker through the air and could find grip off the surface at higher pace, and they went with Chahar.[9](https://crickettaken.in/player/rahul-chahar/rahul-chahar-middle-overs-legspin-quicker-through-air) • [13](https://www.wisden.com/series/indian-premier-league-2021/cricket-news/hold-the-chahar-chahal-debate-why-are-we-not-discussing-ravi-bishnoi) He was one of five spinners in the squad alongside [Ravindra Jadeja](https://www.edgepedia.org/ravindra-jadeja), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, and [Varun Chakravarthy](https://www.edgepedia.org/varun-chakravarthy).[14](https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/is-fast-and-flat-the-only-way-to-go-for-spinners-in-t20s-101633347319367.html)
The record gives a mixed verdict on the theory. In the IPL middle overs, where both bowlers did most of their work, Chahar's economy of 7.72 and dot-ball rate of 33.7 percent marginally beat Chahal's 7.75 and 32.4 percent, which is what the faster, flatter style is supposed to buy. But Chahal's strike rate of a wicket every 19.9 balls was far better than Chahar's 25.0, at essentially the same cost in runs.[9](https://crickettaken.in/player/rahul-chahar/rahul-chahar-middle-overs-legspin-quicker-through-air) Chahar did not get an extended run at the tournament, and India's early exit made the selection harder to defend.[4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils)
## International career and injuries
Chahar made his T20I debut against [West Indies](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-indies) at Providence in August 2019 and his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in July 2021; by January 2024 he had played one ODI and six T20Is.[3](https://images.icc-cricket.com/image/upload/prd/muhftkbnhgzaqtkj64ol.pdf) • [4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils)
Injuries have shaped his red-ball career. After his 2018-19 breakout, the 2020-21 Ranji season was scrapped because of covid, and when he returned to full bowling in 2022-23 he had back pain diagnosed as a stress fracture, an injury that struck him twice and requires two to three months of recovery. In close to four and a half years after his breakout season he played only four first-class games.[4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils) He has said that the lost preparation time also hurt his IPL seasons in 2022 and 2023, when he had only one to one and a half months of bowling before each tournament.[4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils)
When fit, he has remained productive in domestic one-day cricket: in the 2023 Vijay Hazare Trophy he took 18 wickets in nine games at 15.72 as Rajasthan reached their first final in the competition in 16 years.[4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils) He has described red-ball cricket as an ongoing ambition, saying that if he takes more wickets he will be noticed, and that otherwise the absence of a call-up is on him.[4](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils)
## County cricket
Surrey signed Chahar for the final eight matches of the 2026 [County Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/county-championship) season, his second spell with the club after a short stint in 2025 that he described as enjoyable. He became available from 7 June 2026, after his commitments with Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026 ended. Surrey's director of cricket, [Alec Stewart](https://www.edgepedia.org/alec-stewart), said Chahar had done an excellent job at [Hampshire](https://www.edgepedia.org/hampshire) the previous year.[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c17vedqr4p8o) • [5](https://epaper.morningindia.in/uploads/epaper/2026-03/69c6866ca4589.pdf)
## Family
Chahar comes from a cricketing family in Rajasthan: he is the cousin of India and Mumbai Indians seamer [Deepak Chahar](https://www.edgepedia.org/deepak-chahar), and both play domestic cricket for Rajasthan.[15](https://www.mykhel.com/cricket/players/rahul-chahar-ipl-p11025/)
## References
1. [Rahul Chahar (Chennai Super Kings) IPL Career Stats, IPL.com](https://www.ipl.com/player/rahul-chahar)
2. [Rahul Chahar Profile, Mumbai Indians](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/players/66823-rahul-chahar-profile)
3. [ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 team profiles, ICC](https://images.icc-cricket.com/image/upload/prd/muhftkbnhgzaqtkj64ol.pdf)
4. [Rahul Chahar: 'Red-ball cricket has always been an ambition; if I don't deserve a call-up, that's on me', ESPNcricinfo, 11 January 2024](https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/39284861/utils)
5. [Morning India e-paper, March 2026: Surrey sign India leg-spinner Rahul Chahar](https://epaper.morningindia.in/uploads/epaper/2026-03/69c6866ca4589.pdf)
6. [Rahul Chahar: Surrey sign leg spinner for final eight County Championship games, BBC Sport, 26 March 2026](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c17vedqr4p8o)
7. [From Rajasthan's lanes to Mumbai Indians' frontline spinner, Mumbai Indians](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/news/from-rajasthans-lanes-to-mumbai-indians-frontline-spinner-rahul-chahar)
8. [Rahul Chahar Profile, NDTV Sports](https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/players/107512-rahul-chahar-playerprofile)
9. [Rahul Chahar: The Legspinner Picked for His Speed, CricketTaken, 26 August 2026](https://crickettaken.in/player/rahul-chahar/rahul-chahar-middle-overs-legspin-quicker-through-air)
10. [A comprehensive data-driven analysis: Who are the best Indian spinners in the IPL?, Crictracker](https://www.crictracker.com/a-comprehensive-data-driven-analysis-who-are-the-best-indian-spinners-in-the-ipl/)
11. [India tour of West Indies: A spin army for all seasons, The Indian Express, 23 July 2019](https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/india-west-indies-tour-a-spin-army-for-all-seasons-5843339/lite/)
12. [Rahul Chahar, the wily undercard amidst the main eventers, Cricbuzz](https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/114847/rahul-chahar-the-wily-undercard-amidst-the-main-eventers)
13. [Hold the Chahar-Chahal debate, why are we not discussing Ravi Bishnoi?, Wisden, 2021](https://www.wisden.com/series/indian-premier-league-2021/cricket-news/hold-the-chahar-chahal-debate-why-are-we-not-discussing-ravi-bishnoi)
14. [Is fast and flat the only way to go for spinners in T20s?, Hindustan Times, 2021](https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/is-fast-and-flat-the-only-way-to-go-for-spinners-in-t20s-101633347319367.html)
15. [Rahul Chahar IPL Career: Records, Age, Price, Team, myKhel](https://www.mykhel.com/cricket/players/rahul-chahar-ipl-p11025/)
16. [T20 World Cup Chief Selector Chetan Sharma Explains Why Rahul Chahar Was Picked Over Yuzvendra Chahal in India Squad 2535013, sports.ndtv.com](https://sports.ndtv.com/icc-t20-world-cup-2021/t20-world-cup-chief-selector-chetan-sharma-explains-why-rahul-chahar-was-picked-over-yuzvendra-chahal-in-india-squad-2535013)
17. [Chahar over Chahal, A masterstroke or a blunder?](https://cricxtasy.news/analysis/chahar-over-chahal-masterstroke-or-blunder/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Cricket › Cricket people and teams › People › Men's international cricketers › Indian men's cricketers › Indian cricketers of the 2000s and 2010s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license