“I am sure we will emerge victorious” – Deepak Chahar upbeat about India’s chances in tour of Sri Lanka
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Deepak Chahar celebrates a wicket
With the Indian red-ball side all set to travel for the long Test season in England starting with the World Test Championship (WTC) final, the white-ball players will travel to Sri Lanka for an ODI and a T20I series. With the all-format players missing, the two series could be the perfect opportunity for plenty of players looking to make it to the strongest XI of India to showcase their talent.
Pacer Deepak Chahar will be one of them. The 28-year-old was an integral part of the Indian T20I side, but soon faded away and has lost his place now. However, after a good first half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he would want to carry the form and make a statement that he is capable of producing consistent performances at the international level as well.
Deepak Chahar previews the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka
Deepak Chahar spoke of his preparations for the Sri Lanka tour and told TOI, “I am all set for the Sri Lanka tour. I bowled well in the IPL. I was in good touch. I am excited to play in Sri Lanka. In my opinion, experience gives you a lot of confidence. I have experience now and I am confident of a good showing in Sri Lanka. I am sure we will emerge victorious against Sri Lanka. Our second-string team is looking as strong as the main team. We have a lot of options.”
About who would be the suitable candidate to captain India, Chahar stated that it was Shikhar Dhawan and said, “Shikhar (Dhawan) bhai will be a good choice (for captain). He has been playing for a long time and has a lot of experience. For me, a senior person should become a captain. Because players see that player as a senior and respect him and obey him with honesty. Players should respect their captain. He (Dhawan) will be a good choice.”
Speaking of how playing under the leadership of MS Dhoni in CSK has helped him, Chahar said, “It was a long-cherished dream of mine to play under Mahi bhai. I have learnt a lot under his captaincy. I have taken my game to another level under his guidance. He has always backed me. He taught me how to take responsibility. There is no one in my team (CSK) who bowls three overs in the powerplay. I do that. That’s because of Mahi bhai. Bowling the first over for a team is not an easy job. With time, I have improved and learnt how to control the flow of runs, especially in T20s.”
Deepak Chahar on IPL 2021 and his red-ball dreams
Deepak Chahar then spoke about the suspension of IPL 2021 and said, “I would appreciate the way the BCCI handled all things smoothly. Be it, Indian players or overseas players, everyone reached their respective destinations safely and without any problems. I don’t think the bio-bubble was breached by any player (in phase 1 of 2021). But when a bio-bubble is contaminated, it is very difficult to rebuild it. It takes time to re-make it again. No one expected Covid cases within the teams. Hats off to the BCCI for the way they tackled things and took care of all of us.”
Finally about his red-ball dreams of playing for India in the longest format of the game, Chahar said, “Playing Test cricket is my ultimate dream. I know how to swing the ball and swinging conditions favour me a lot. The (Test) team is going to England. I wish them all the best. Bowling in English conditions has its own charm. I have played in England and I have enjoyed bowling there. I am sure the selectors will give me a chance someday. I have played T20Is and ODIs and I have to prove myself a lot in these two formats and I hope I make it to the Test team someday. I look forward to playing Tests for the country.”
For now, the focus for Deepak Chahar will be to produce an excellent performance in Sri Lanka.
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Nevin Clinton
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