Following his impressive stint in Sri Lanka under Shikhar Dhawan, Deepak Chahar had established himself as a key figure in India's bowling lineup. He wasn't just effective with the ball; his ability to contribute runs in the lower order made him a versatile threat. However, his momentum was halted by two major injuries, which eventually saw him lose his guaranteed spot in the team.
Deepak Chahar was considered a prime player in India’s fast-bowling attack, considering his stellar performances for the Men in blue led by Shikhar Dhawan in Sri Lanka. Chahar impressed everyone with his brilliance in bowling as well as with the bat in the lower order. However, two injuries forced him to stay out of the game and he eventually lost his place in the pecking order.
The road to recovery was grueling for Chahar, who had to overcome a stress fracture followed by a grade 3 quad tear. These setbacks limited him to only 15 matches for India across 2022 and cost him a spot in the T20 World Cup. Speaking recently, Chahar mentioned that he has dedicated the past few months to an intense fitness regime and is now completely healthy.
The 30-year-old is gearing up for his return in IPL 2023, playing for the Chennai Super Kings. Chahar pointed out the specific difficulty of his recovery, mentioning that while batsmen can return to action relatively quickly, a stress fracture is particularly challenging for a fast bowler to overcome.
With the likes of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah appearing as locks for the squad, the battle for the fourth seamer position is wide open. Chahar finds himself competing directly with Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh. Despite the competition, Chahar remains unfazed. He stated that he isn't preoccupied with who else is in the mix, focusing solely on delivering a 100% performance with both bat and ball to earn his way back into the team.