Deepak Chahar Recalls How His 5 Sixes In 10 Balls Impressed MS Dhoni And Stephen Fleming

One of the biggest buys of the recently concluded Indian Premier League- IPL 2022 auction, Deepak Chahar recalled how he impressed MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming in trials before IPL 2016 enough to be picked for the Rising Pune Super Giant that season.

Chahar first linked up with Dhoni and Fleming for the RPSG team which was formed for two years when Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were banned due to a spot-fixing scandal. He continued with them when CSK came back in IPL 2018 and was recently bought back in the IPL 2022 auction for a whopping Rs 14 crores.

This was the first time CSK spent over INR 10 crores on a player and in all they ended up acquiring 22 players in the auction, buying back the core of their team in Robin Uthappa, Dwayne Bravo, and Ambati Rayudu amongst others. CSK had already retained Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Recalling his first encounter with MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming, the masterminds behind the success of Chennai Super Kings, Chahar told Sports Tak that his journey started in 2016 when attended trials before the IPL 2016.

“My journey with CSK began in 2016. I was struggling I domestic cricket. Fortunately, I got the opportunity to enter the trials. When Hrishikesh Kanitkar became Pune Super Giants’ assistant coach, he called me for the trial. I played the selection match where [Stephen] Fleming noticed me. I bowled well with the new ball and batting at 7, I scored a half-century hitting some fours and big sixes. On the second day, I got a chance to bat higher – at 4 – and again I scored 50 runs. So when Fleming selected me at Pune, I was picked as a batting all-rounder, someone who can hit the ball and bowl with the new ball,” Chahar told Sports Tak.

‘Be Ready. Practice A Lot: Deepak Chahar Recalls MS Dhoni Assuring Him CSK Will Buy Him In IPL 2018

The Rajasthan white-ball captain also revealed that it was MS Dhoni who first spotted the batting potential in him. Chahar has clearly shown his batting prowess with two half-centuries in ODIs for India.

“When we got selected, there was a camp. That is where Mahi bhai came. We were playing a practice match, so when I met Dhoni bhai, I was batting. I came at 3 and I smoked 5 sixes in 10 balls – was unbeaten on 30. I got injured while taking a run, and when I walked out, I met Mahi bhai for the first time. He saw that I can hit sixes and can swing the new ball,” added Chahar.

“That season I could only play a few games because I got injured. But in the next season, he told me ‘Be ready. Practice a lot. We are going to pick you for CSK next season. You will play all matches. He said this to me in 2017 and in 2018 when he picked me, he told me ‘You will play all matches. We believe in you. We trust you. Just do what you have been doing,” Chahar said.

Deepak Chahar will be joining forces with Adam Milne in the fast bowling department for CSK in IPL 2022.

Also Read: Haven’t Had Discussion Over Hardik Pandya Playing As Pure Batter – Rohit Sharma