The Team India star last played for the side in December 2022 during an ODI against Bangladesh.
Team India has had a tryst with injuries this year; while Jasprit Bumrah was out for a large part of the year before making a comeback to white-ball format last month, the star batting duo of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer also faced injuries that forced it out of the World Test Championship final in June. In addition, many players who were once part of Indian squads – particularly in white-ball formats – lost their places in the side after long injury-related absence. One of them is pacer Deepak Chahar, who had missed almost the entire 2022 with hamstring injury.
Chahar didn’t take part in the 2022 Indian Premier League and made a return to the tournament this year; he did face injury-related setbacks in the 2023 edition as well, but finished the season with 10 games under his belt, taking 13 wickets and playing an important role in Chennai Super Kings’ title-triumph. The doors for an Indian comeback, however, remained closed for Chahar. Despite Bumrah’s absence and the management resting Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj for West Indies tour (white-ball formats), India placed their faith on a relatively inexperienced pace attack led by Shardul Thakur.
The string of injuries may have plagued Chahar’s career; however, the 31-year-old Indian seamer remains resolute in his quest to regain his place in the national team. Chahar, who last represented India in December of the previous year, insisted that injuries are hard but the key is to not give up after being sidelined from the sport.
“A player should not get disappointed by injuries. These things are not in a player’s hand. My priority right now is to remain fit and be available for the team. I will give my 100 per cent for the team whenever I get a chance,” Chahar told PTI Bhasha on the sidelines of a promotional event of his brand ‘D9’ here on Tuesday.
“In my case it can also be said that I was having a bad time. Last year I suffered a back injury, which is serious for a fast bowler but now I am completely fit. I am very happy with my bowling at the moment.
“I am trying to make a comeback into the national team. I recently played the RPL (Rajasthan Premier League) tournament. Till Sunday, I was at the National Cricket Academy. I was practising with the Indian team, which is going to China for the Asian Games,” he added.
World Cup ‘a dream’
Chahar is not in the reckoning for this year’s World Cup but the pacer stated that it remains his “dream” to represent India in the marquee tournament.
“A cricketer’s dream is to play the World Cup and win it for the country. I will try to complete it whenever I get a chance.
“I have won many tournaments in my first appearance. It was my first Asia Cup when India won it in 2018. I have played five finals in last six IPL seasons and have become champions thrice,” he said.
