IND vs ZIM 2022: "You tend to be a bit tentative" - Paul Valthaty on Deepak Chahar's return
Former Indian cricketer Paul Valthaty feels all-rounder Deepak Chahar could be a bit rusty coming into the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe.
The 30-year-old sustained an injury during the T20Is against West Indies earlier this year and has been out of action ever since. However, he has been named in the reserves for the Asia Cup 2022 and will be keen to make an impact in the ODIs against Zimbabwe set to begin on August 18.
Speaking in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda facilitated by SONY, here's what Valthaty had to say about Deepak Chahar's goals from the upcoming series:
"Whenever you're making a comeback, you tend to be a bit tentative and Deepak Chahar will be the same as he hasn't got much competitive cricket under his belt since that injury."
He added:
"So it is up to him how he wants to look at this, whether he wants to judge the series by wickets and 'Man of the Match' awards, or just look to get into a rhythm."
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Paul Valthaty on importance of Deepak Chahar as an all-rounder to the Indian team
Paul Valthaty believes that apart from being a sensational bowler with the new ball, Chahar is also capable of winning games by making impactful contributions with the bat. The 30-year-old almost single-handedly won Team India an ODI in Sri Lanka last year and almost repeated the feat in South Africa earlier this year.
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Valkthaty reckons it is Chahar's all-round ability that has helped him get a quicker path back into the Indian team despite such a long injury lay-off. On this, the former cricketer stated:
"We all know how good he is with the new ball for his franchise CSK and he also strung up a few good performances in the South Africa tour. All-rounders are always handy because of the extra cushion and balance that they give."
He continued:
"And that's the only reason why you see so much backing and attention given to his recovery that he has immediately been picked in the team and also as a backup for the Asia Cup."
Chahar is one of five fast bowlers to have made it into India's squad for the series against Zimbabwe. It will be interesting to see if he makes it into the playing XI for the first ODI itself.
Will Deepak Chahar make a sensational entry into India's T20 World Cup squad? Let us know in the comments.