Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar (L) and MS Dhoni (R). Credit: Twitter

Fast bowler Deepak Chahar made a name for himself through his consistent performances for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It also helped him earn a national team call-up as his game grew under the watchful eyes of MS Dhoni.

Chahar has been relied with the new ball for the Chennai franchise. But it would have been a different season for him if the lucrative tournament would have got underway from March 29 as he is recovering from a lower-back injury.

The idea is to stay fit: Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar
Photo by: Prashant Bhoot / IPL/ SPORTZPICS

Deepak Chahar made his IPL debut in 2016. He has proven economical and has the knack of picking up wickets from the word go. The postponement of IPL 2020 comes as a blessing in disguise for the fast bowler, who by his own admission, is looking to stay fit.

“I am looking forward to bowling again. For now, the idea is to stay fit,” the 27-year-old said.

“When things are not in your control, there is little you can do. So, I focus on what I can do during that time. I am trying to learn new things, focus on my fitness – as you know I was injured and getting back. This gives me more time to recover,” he was quoted as saying on CSK’s official website.

Would have missed first few matches, says Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar
IPL

Deepak Chahar admitted had the IPL 2020 he would have missed the first few matches if the tournament got underway from March 29. However, it remains to be seen, if the tournaments gets underway later in the year or gets cancelled due to the widespread of the novel coronavirus.

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“Had the IPL season started on time, I would have missed the first few matches,” said Chahar, whose 6 for 7 (including a hat-trick) against Bangladesh last year was declared the ICC T20I performance of the year.

Chahar has made 34 IPL appearances, picking up 34 wickets, at an average of 11.83. He has the best bowling figures of 3/15 in the tournament.