IPL 2023: Deepak Chahar Still Not 100% Fit

Chennai Super Kings’ bowler Deepak Chahar recently admitted that he hasn’t fully recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the IPL 2023 for almost a month. Chahar missed the first match of the season but returned for the following few games before re-injuring himself against Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 8th. After missing several matches in April, he came back for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) game in early May.

Since his return, Chahar played a crucial role in their win against Mumbai Indians and took important wickets against Delhi Capitals (DC), including Phil Salt and David Warner to control their damage in the powerplay. Despite having only taken four wickets in six league games, he has maintained an economy rate of over 9.52.

Following their victory against Delhi Capitals, Chahar admitted that managing his recurring injuries has been tough. Although he has not achieved full fitness yet, he always strives to contribute to his team in the best way possible. Chahar leads Chennai Super Kings‘ pace attack and remarked that the ball was swinging well in their recent game. He also had a conversation with skipper MS Dhoni.

IPL 2023: Still Not 100 Percent, Admits Deepak Chahar

“It is very difficult with injuries, every time you get injured you start from zero. Still not 100% but trying to do a job to contribute to the team. It was swinging nicely and at the same time, the pitch was slow. I had a chat with Mahi bhai, when the wickets are getting slower, you don’t need to bowl fast, bowl slow and swing it, it’s difficult for the batters to get the boundaries in the powerplay,” Deepak Chahar said after the match between CSK and DC at Chepauk.

Chahar has suffered several injuries in the past 18 months. Despite being bought for a whopping Rs 14 crore in the mega auction, he was unable to play the entire IPL 2022 season and missed the 2022 T20 World Cup for India. As the 2023 World Cup and Asia Cup draw near, Chahar hopes to secure a place in the already injury-hit Team India. However, his own injury could hinder his chances of realizing this dream.