Deepak Chahar impressed everyone with his heroics as India pulled off a victory against Sri Lanka in the second ODI. Chasing 276 runs, India was reeling at 160 with six wickets down. Deepak Chahar batted with great composure and grit to score 82-ball 69 runs knock to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Speaking at the virtual press conference after the match, Chahar said that watching MS Dhoni finish off games has helped him to plan his innings. Chahar stated:

Will never forget this moment #teamindia #dream . Thank you so much for your wishes means a lot ☺️🙏 #keepsupporting pic.twitter.com/y0iGLAaaKY

— Deepak chahar 🇮🇳 (@deepak_chahar9) July 21, 2021

“Watching MS Dhoni close out matches has been a big factor. I have watched him for a long period and I have always seen him finishing matches. When you talk to him, he always tells you to take the game deep. Everyone wants us to win, but when the match goes deep, it is thrilling for everyone involved.”

Deepak Chahar also spoke about the backing that he received from coach Rahul Dravid. Incidentally, Dravid promoted Chahar in the batting order ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, which turned out to be the masterstroke. Chahar said:

“Rahul Dravid coaching the senior side for the first time, but he has been there with the A side and I have played under his guidance and coaching. There have been times that a situation has arisen of the batsmen being dismissed and me being out there in the middle. I have played good knocks for India A and that is why Rahul sir has the confidence in me. It always helps you when the coach backs you. It is always there at the back of your mind that the coach backs you.”

Bhuvaneshwar’s batting gave me the boost: Deepak Chahar

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar played the perfect second foil to Deepak Chahar as the two stitched together an 84-run stand to take India home. Chahar said that Bhuvaneshwar Kumar’s batting gave him confidence.

“When I was batting with Krunal, my role was different. I had to rotate the strike. When Bhuvaneshwar came in, it was there in the back of my mind that do I need to play my shots? But the way he started, he was looking comfortable and it gave me confidence. His batting game me the boost and I was not required to take the risks,” said Chahar as quoted by ANI.

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