"Don't think I will be fit for England T20s" - Deepak Chahar
Indian all-rounder Deepak Chahar feels he may not be fully fit to make his international comeback for the T20I series against England, commencing on July 7. Chahar has been one of the most impactful performers for India over the past 12 months.
The 29-year-old picked up wickets and also single-handedly won a game for India against Sri Lanka last year. But just as the seam-bowling all-rounder started to look promising, Chahar injured himself during the series against West Indies.
https://t.co/MDW6ZWeqtA
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spearhead failed to recover in time for the IPL 2022 season and is currently undergoing rehab. Here's what he recently told PTI about his recovery:
"It's a step-by-step process as far as recovery is concerned. I don't think I will be fit for England T20s. Once I am match fit, I will need to play some club-level games to check my fitness."
Fresh start #revovery #road https://t.co/znicdM5fGV
Bowling four to five overs at one go: Deepak Chahar on his rehab
In the same conversation, Chahar also opened up on his rehab programme and the timeline it might take for him to be match-fit. He reckons he might need more than a month to bowl at full throttle:
"I am bowling four to five overs at one go as per my rehab programme right now. My recovery is going pretty well and I think it will take another four to five weeks for me to get match fit."
India will be buoyed by the return of Hardik Pandya as an all-rounder and the fact that he is contributing in all three departments. But it would probably be an icing on the cake if Deepak Chahar gets fit in time for the T20 World Cup.
With Harshal Patel batting at No. 8 in the recent T20I series, that extra batting depth with Chahar's presence would certainly stand the Men in Blue in good stead.