IPL 2022: 3 reasons why Deepak Chahar's exit is a big blow to the Chennai Super Kings
In what comes as a major blow to the Chennai Super Kings, Deepak Chahar is set to miss the majority of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season.
In the recent T20I series against the West Indies, the 29-year-old suffered a quadriceps strain. He was unable to play in the subsequent T20I series against Sri Lanka because of the injury.
According to reports, Chahar's recovery from could take many weeks. Since the IPL 2022 season begins on March 26, there's a good chance he will not play in the event at all. CSK is still awaiting a final report from Chahar's rehabilitation facility, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
The Chennai franchise paid a whopping ₹14 crore for the all-rounder, making him the second most expensive player at this year's auction.
In this article, we take a look at three reasons why Chahar's absence from the IPL could be a pivotal blow to the Chennai Super Kings.
#1. Chahar - A one of a kind all-rounder
Chahar, with his ability to swing the new ball both ways, has often been skipper MS Dhoni's go-to weapon, especially in the powerplay. The right-armer has great control over his line and length and has many a time provided his franchise with early breakthroughs.
Chahar has also frequently shown that he is more than capable with the bat. Batting lower down the order, the 29-year-old has showcased his big-hitting skills, especially for the Men in Blue. This was also one of the reasons why CSK paid an exhorbitant amount of money for him.
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According to reports, Chennai Super Kings' 14-crore buy, Deepak Chahar will miss most part of the IPL, if not the entire tournament.
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The Chennai-based franchise has numerous fast bowlers and pace-bowling all-rounders on their roster. However, none of them have the equivalent ability like Chahar's to be a real threat with the ball in the powerplay and tonk the ball at the death, if needed.
#2. Chahar was in a good form recently
Chahar, who has 27 international caps for India, was in excellent form prior to his injury. During the West Indies' white-ball tour to India, the Agra-born seamer played a solitary ODI and all three T20Is.
In the third One-Day International against the Caribbean side, Chahar took two wickets in four balls and even smashed four boundaries and two sixes in his innings of 38.
- Against Sri Lanka in July 2021.
- Against South Africa in January 2022.
One went in India's favour and other didn't, but Deepak Chahar's efforts will be celebrated and remembered for long. https://t.co/MnkmytRUjK
He took three wickets in the three T20Is and was India's joint second-highest wicket-taker in the series. Prior to this, he also featured in one of the three ODIs against South Africa in January. In that game, Chahar scalped two wickets at an economy rate of 6.6 and scored his second ODI half-century in just 31 deliveries.
#3. Lack of experience without Chahar
Chahar has been part of the cash-rich league since 2016, making his debut with the erstwhile Rising Pune Supergiant. Post that, he has been part of four-time champions CSK. In the 63 IPL encounters, Chahar has picked up as many as 59 scalps at an economy of under 8 and a strike rate of 22.
With Chahar now likely to miss out on a major chunk of the forthcoming IPL, CSK will be left with inexperienced Indian pacers.
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Tushar Deshpande, KM Asif, and Mukesh Chowdhury have been promising on the domestic circuit but there is no guarantee that they will be successful at the highest level. Fresh from the under-19 success, Rajvardhan Hangargekar will be a raw commodity as well.
CSK have Adam Milne and Dwaine Pretorius as part of their overseas pool. However, adding one of them might alter their original strategy. Apart from that, the team might also struggle to find a replacement who could even be more than handy with the bat.