A photo of Deepak Chahar (PTI). Just a week ago, the internet was buzzing with a clip of MS Dhoni losing his temper with Chahar. The CSK captain was furious after Chahar struggled with his line and length during a high-pressure phase of the match against Kings XI Punjab. But for the 26-year-old bowler, such critiques are nothing new.
Seven days prior, the video of a miffed MS Dhoni decrying Deepak Chahar turned into a web sensation. The Chennai Super Kings player was reprehensible of bowling wayward at a critical intersection against Kings XI Punjab. In any case, censures don’t alarm the 26-year old pacer.
Criticism has always been part of Chahar's journey. Even in 2008, Greg Chappell of the Rajasthan Cricket Association Academy didn't believe he could make it to the big leagues. Undeterred by this, Chahar pushed forward and debuted in first-class cricket against Hyderabad two years later at the age of 18.
Dhoni had every right to be upset. With only 12 balls left and KXIP chasing 39, Chahar messed up with two straight no-balls. Sarfaraz Khan took advantage of a full delivery to hit a boundary, and another poor ball yielded two runs, sparking Dhoni's outburst.
\"I've been flooded with messages asking what Dhoni said to me,\" Chahar explained on Tuesday. \"He was obviously angry, and honestly, I would have been too. I bowled two beamers when they only needed 39 runs, suddenly bringing it down to 31. He was frustrated with my execution. The ball was damp, and I just didn't nail the delivery.\"
The Rajasthan bowler bounced back quickly, dismissing David Miller on the final ball of that over. Chahar admitted that Dhoni's blunt feedback actually helped boost his confidence.
Chahar showed a different side of his game against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday. On a slow surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, he stifled the opposition with a disciplined spell, helping bowl them out for 108/9. His impressive figures of 3 for 20 in 4 overs earned him the Player of the Match trophy.
Chahar didn’t reiterate his oversights against Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday, and on a moderate MA Chidambaram track gagged the guests with a spell of restrained bowling to limit them to 108/9. He came back with 4-0-20-3 that brought him the Player of the Match grant.
Beyond taking the wickets of Chris Lynn, Nitish Rana, and Robin Uthappa, Chahar set an IPL record by bowling 20 dot balls. He was particularly effective in the 19th over, where five dot balls kept the dangerous Andre Russell in check. This performance is even more impressive considering Chahar only recently began bowling at the death after the KXIP game.
\"When Dwayne Bravo got injured and was out for a couple of weeks, I had to step up and bowl the closing overs,\" Chahar noted. \"I've wanted this chance for a long time, and proving I can be a death bowler is key to becoming a complete all-around player.\"
Known for his ability to swing the ball, Chahar thrived in Pune's conditions in 2018, where CSK played most of their home games. However, Chennai's slower pitches don't offer the same advantages, and Chahar realizes he must adapt his style to succeed there.
\"In Pune, the conditions favored pacers with plenty of swing and seam movement,\" Chahar explained. \"Knowing we'd be playing in Chennai this year, I adjusted my training. On a slow track, your length has to be perfect. You can get away with a bad length when the ball is swinging, but without that, precision is everything. I'm currently working on perfecting my slower balls and slower bouncers.\"
\"I feel like a much better bowler than I was last year. Confidence is everything at this level, and representing India has really helped,\" added Chahar. His international experience includes an ODI debut against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup last year and a T20I appearance against England in July.
Despite the victory, Chahar wasn't thrilled with the pitch at Chepauk. \"We're looking for a better quality wicket; nobody likes playing on a surface like this,\" he said. \"It's a result of the soil and the extreme heat. The groundsmen are doing their best, but sometimes the conditions are just unavoidable.\"
Notwithstanding the way that CSK won, Chahar felt the moderate pitch at Chepauk was not perfect. “We are hunting down an unrivaled wicket. No one needs this kind of wicket. It’s basically the soil and the warm. You can’t help it. It’s exorbitantly hot here. The pitch players are doing their best to give us a tolerable track yet toward the day’s end you can’t avoid,” he said.
MS Dhoni shared this sentiment regarding the sluggish Chepauk track. \"I'd prefer we didn't play on wickets like these,\" Dhoni remarked. \"They lead to very low scores and make it incredibly difficult for our batters to get a rhythm going. It becomes a struggle throughout the match, without a doubt.\"