"Down with dengue and chikungunya" - PBKS superstar shares health update after missing out on JHKD vs HAR 2025 SMAT final

Star Indian Premier League (IPL) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was ruled out of the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) final between Haryana and Jharkhand in Pune on Thursday, December 18. The 35-year-old took to X to share that he was down with dengue and chikungunya. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) player is now focusing on his recovery ahead of IPL 2026.

Wishing Haryana all the best for the summit clash, Chahal wrote on X:

“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,” he added.

Yuzvendra Chahal

@yuzi_chahal

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

Chahal's absence comes as a massive loss for Haryana, having scalped 384 wickets in 229 T20Is. With 221 wickets, he's the leading wicket-taker in IPL. He also has 96 scalps in 80 T20Is.

The leg-spinner picked up two wickets in three games for Haryana in SMAT. With the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy scheduled between December 24 and January 18, it remains to be seen whether Chahal returns to action ahead of the Indian T20 league.

Chahal played his last T20I for the Men in Blue against the West Indies in August 2023. He, however, was part of the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning team. Having said that, PBKS retained Chahal for a whopping INR 18 crore ahead of IPL 2026.

Ishan Kishan and Kumar Katikeya provide a flying start to Jharkhand in the 2025 SMAT final vs Haryana

A clinical batting display from skipper Ishan Kishan and Kumar Kushagra has helped Jharkhand dominate Haryana in the 2025 SMAT final.

At the time of writing, Jharkhand were 109/1 after nine overs, with Kishan (69 off 30) and Kushagra (37 off 22) at the crease. Anshul Kamboj dismissed Virat Singh for two runs to help Haryana strike in their first over.

Haryana beat Hyderabad by a mammoth 124 runs in their last match. On the other hand, Jharkhand suffered a nine-run loss to Andhra. It was their first loss after winning nine games in a row in the T20 tournament. The two teams are searching for their maiden SMAT title.

Click here to follow the JHKD vs HAR 2025 SMAT final live score and updates.