Deepak Chahar has had an awesome week as he became the first Indian male cricketer to pick a T20I hat-trick in the third T20I against Bangladesh and after that, he took four wickets in an over for Rajasthan against Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Chahar credited his stunning performances to the IPL 2019, where he picked up 22 wickets for Chennai Super Kings and gradually became a new-ball specialist to a more an all-around bowler.
“To deliver the goods, your skills are very important. I could swing the new ball. I needed to develop my skills to reap benefits from the old ball and I think, I learned a lot of it during the last IPL. That was the best thing to have happened to me,” Chahar told Sportstar.
“I knew that we had to play seven matches in Chennai, and it was obvious that I had to bowl a lot of slowers. So, I adjusted accordingly. Before that, I had learned the art of delivering knuckle balls. I practiced a lot because I knew that I would need to bowl at least three overs in Powerplays, and there, yorkers would come handy,” he added.
“So, at the nets, I tried to master the art of bowling yorkers and that boosted my confidence. For a bowler, it is a very satisfying feeling to bowl yorkers, because in T20Is, you are bound to concede a few boundaries in an over. And in those times, you need a yorker to put the pressure back on the batsmen. Working on my yorkers, during the stint with Chennai Super Kings, has helped me immensely,” he expressed.
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Deepak Chahar 6 for 7 against Bangladesh in Nagpur is the best figures ever in men’s T20I cricket although he did not bowl with the new ball as Khaleel Ahmed and Washington Sundar started the innings.
“I took six wickets in that match, but for me the best thing happened before the match. I went to meet our captain Rohit Sharma to discuss a few things, and he told me that, ‘You are not going to bowl with the new ball today. I will use you as (Jasprit) Bumrah’,” he said.
“For me, those words were really motivating. For a young bowler like me, who has played only six international games, it is a matter of pride that your captain has so much trust in you. It was a great opportunity to bowl with the old ball and I am happy that I could justify his faith in me. I am really happy about it,” added Deepak Chahar.
Chahar said that he would work harder to seal a permanent spot in the team.
“India now has the top fast-bowling attack — something not many could think of in the past. In this situation, getting a place in the team is difficult. To sustain, you have to perform in every game and you cannot afford to take any game lightly. I treat every game as my last game and that helps to stay focused and motivated,” he said. “I have worked hard for 15 years to come so far, and I won’t let it go easily,” Deepak Chahar concluded.
