Indian and Chennai Super Kings pacer Deepak Chahar recently shared a memory when MS Dhoni allowed him to bat before himself. The right-arm bowler reminisced about contributing runs in a victorious match, showcasing the team’s strong lineup.
This incident occurred during the 2018 IPL match between the Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. While chasing a target of 154, Chahar was promoted to bat at No. 6. He played a quick innings, scoring 39 off 20 deliveries, and Dhoni followed, securing a five-wicket win for CSK.
In an interview with ESPN Cricinfo, the 31-year-old mentioned that having such depth provides them with equilibrium and adaptability.
“That was the only game where Mahi bhai [Dhoni] gave me batting before him and I scored some runs in that game. And we won that game.”
“It has been good for the team because we haven’t needed my batting. Mahi bhai himself bats at No. 8 and I bat at No. 9 and you know that gives a lot of balance to the team and see the batters before us having this [depth].”
Chahar further emphasized how CSK utilized their strong batting lineup in the latter part of IPL 2021 to reach a total of 156-8, overcoming a challenging start at 24-4 during the powerplay.
He said:
“I can give you an example of one game. It was the first game in Dubai after Covid. The first game was against Mumbai [Indians]. We were 40 for 4 [24 for 4], I think, and from there we ended up scoring 160 runs.”
“Rutu [Ruturaj Gaikwad] and Jadeja were playing, and they started hitting from the 14th over. Other teams won’t do that because they don’t have that depth in their batting.”
In that particular match, Ruturaj Gaikwad remained not out at 88, forming a partnership of 81 runs off 64 deliveries with Ravindra Jadeja. The Yellow Army secured victory by a margin of 20 runs.
“Now is the opportune moment for me to enhance my speed”- Deepak Chahar
Chahar added that he aspires to return to the form of 2018 when he consistently bowled at speeds of 140 kmph.
“When I played in 2018, I was nearly bowling around 140ks. When you’re playing regularly you don’t get the chance to do strength training and your pace comes down. This is the right time for me to increase my pace. Skill-wise, I’ve obviously been doing well with batting and bowling.”
The cricketer from Agra disclosed that he is focusing on improving his power-hitting for the death overs in preparation for IPL 2024.
“So I’m trying to develop a few shots with the bat too, because when you bat at No. 8 or No. 9, you only get to play three-four balls. So you have to utilise those balls with different shots.”
The 2024 IPL is expected to commence on March 22, with CSK aiming to defend their title.
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