“Mahi bhai doesn’t talk much over the phone” - Former CSK pacer says he’ll catch up with Dhoni before IPL 2025 begins
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Deepak Chahar has said he is keen to meet ex-India captain MS Dhoni ahead of IPL 2025 after joining Mumbai Indians (MI) at the auction last month. Chahar hinted that he will meet Dhoni in person since the latter doesn't pick up calls. Notably, the claim that Dhoni is unavailable over phone calls is not new.
Chahar further expressed his gratitude for his stint with the Super Kings after the franchise failed to buy him at the auction.
Chahar recently told SportStar:
"Mahi bhai doesn’t talk much over the phone, but I’ll definitely meet him soon. I had a great time under him at CSK, and even though we’ll be on opposite sides now, I’ll catch up with him before the season begins."
Notably, Deepak Chahar thrived as a powerplay bowler under Dhoni in the IPL. He has played for CSK from 2018 to 2024. He also spent a couple of seasons with Dhoni at the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants.
The 32-year-old has joint fifth-highest wickets in powerplay, picking up 60 scalps so far.
Most powerplay wickets in IPL:
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 74
- Trent Boult - 63
- Sandeep Sharma - 62
- Umesh Yadav - 61
- Ishant Sharma and Deepak Chahar - 60
"Mahi bhai has supported me from the start" - Deepak Chahar on stint with CSK
Deepak Chahar recently expressed his gratitude to MS Dhoni and CSK. He told Sports Tak (via Hindustan Times):
"Mahi bhai has supported me from the start, that's why I wanted to come here. But my name came on the second day at the auction, so I had a fair idea that it would be difficult for me to get back to CSK. They had a low purse, but still bid till INR 9 crore despite a purse of INR 13 crore."
“I had made up my mind that it would be difficult. Last year, my name came first, that's why it was easier to get back to CSK," he added.
Notably, CSK entered a bidding war with MI and Punjab Kings (PBKS) before the Mumbai-based franchise won the bid. They splurged a whopping INR 9.25 crore for the Agra-born medium pacer.
In an old interview, Chahar's father Lokendra Singh had also shared how Dhoni helped Deepak propose to his wife Jaya during an IPL match.