"Going with Deepak Chahar would be beneficial" - Sunil Gavaskar on India's T20 World Cup 2022 squad
Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has backed Deepak Chahar to feature in India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 that will be played in Australia in October and November this year.
The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that the conditions in Australia will suit Chahar, as there will be extra bounce on offer for pacers. He pointed out that the right-armer's ability to move the ball would prove effective on those pitches.
Gavaskar opined that having someone like Chahar in the squad is going to benefit the Indian team during the marquee event. Speaking on India Today, he said:
"I would say Deepak Chahar. He is the one I would certainly look at because it will be Australia and there will be extra bounce with the kind of movement that he generates with the new ball.
"He is somebody who's got to factor in if...you know, we've always picked about 4-5 bowlers for the Australia or South Africa tour and one of them gets wasted. But in a fast-paced tournament like the T20, I think going with Deepak Chahar would be beneficial for the Indian team."
Asia cup finalists
2016 : India & Bangladesh
2018 : India & Bangladesh
2022 : both eliminated before final.
The Indian bowling unit has come under scrutiny following the Men in Blue's dismal performance in Asia Cup 2022. The Rohit Sharma-led side suffered heartbreaking losses to Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Super 4 stage and failed to make the cut for the all-important final.
Deepak Chahar has been impressive since his return from injury
Deepak Chahar has missed several matches this year due to hamstring and back injuries. The 30-year-old returned to cricketing action with India's tour of Zimbabwe in August.
He picked up five wickets from two games in the three-match T20I series. The pacer was named as one of the reverve players for the Indian squad for Asia Cup 2022.
Chahar replaced Avesh Khan in India's squad after the latter was ruled out of the continental event due to illness. He was a part of the team's playing XI for their final Super 4 match against Afghanistan.
While he wasn't able to pick up a single wicket in the encounter, he bowled a tidy spell, conceding just 28 runs from his quota of four overs.