Deepak Chahar is returning from a long-term injury, but there's no room for a gradual warm-up. With India gearing up for two major events—the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup—the stakes are high. After missing a significant part of the year, Chahar needs to hit the ground running in the Zimbabwe series. His performance in these three ODIs will be a key indicator of his readiness. It's a stark contrast to his previous status as a primary new-ball bowler in T20Is; he now finds himself as a backup for the Asia Cup squad.
Maninder Singh, a former Indian spinner, pointed out that Chahar's extended time away from the game due to injury makes a seamless return to international cricket very difficult. He emphasized that the fast bowler must be handled with caution during this phase.
Maninder also mentioned that the team management will need to be judicious about when to deploy him. While the 30-year-old remains a highly skilled player, delivering consistent results immediately after such a long hiatus is a challenge. Consequently, these three ODI matches are critical for Chahar's future in the team.
Chahar's value isn't just in his bowling; in his last three ODI appearances, he proved his worth with the bat, scoring 69*, 54, and 38. Having him at number 8 gives India the flexibility to experiment with their bowling attack without sacrificing batting depth. India is set to face Zimbabwe in the opening ODI in Harare tomorrow.