Deepak Chahar, renowned for his swing bowling in white-ball cricket, is currently sidelined from Team India due to injury. Chahar, who has delivered outstanding performances in shorter formats, especially under Dhoni's captaincy in the IPL, is on a recovery path. His contributions were instrumental in Chennai clinching their 5th IPL title this year. However, injuries have been a persistent concern for Chahar. A hamstring issue saw him miss the initial part of IPL 2023, and a back injury ruled him out of the entire 2022 IPL season.
Often, fans have observed Dhoni, whom Chahar idolises, reprimanding the bowler during matches. In an exclusive chat with Sports Tak, Chahar shed light on this dynamic.
"Dhoni is my elder brother," Chahar shared with Sports Tak. "I am is Dhoni Bhai's love. Everyone has a different way of showing love. I consider him my elder brother and he is my idol. I have learned a lot from him and he treats me like a younger brother. For the elder brother, his younger brother always remains small and never grows up. And that's why I get scolded. The relationship between me and Mahi Bhai is very strong and I consider myself very lucky."
In addition to his cricketing journey, Chahar has ventured into the business world by launching his sports brand, 'D Nine Sports'. Aimed at budding cricketers, the brand offers affordable caps, t-shirts, and shoes. Chahar emphasised that the brand caters to those unable to purchase pricey gear, preventing injuries from subpar equipment.
Despite his accolades, including being part of the victorious 2018 Asia Cup team, Chahar is not in the current ODI World Cup squad. Eager to recover and return to the pitch, Chahar has impressive stats: 16 wickets in 13 ODI matches, 29 wickets in 24 T20 matches, and 72 wickets in 73 IPL games. He made his ODI and T20 debuts in 2018 and played his inaugural IPL match in 2016.
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