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I am fully fit and preparing well for IPL: Chahar
Follow UsThe right-arm seamer, who last played for India in December 2022, featured in only 15 encounters last year
Deepak Chahar didn’t have a great 2022, owing to a stress fracture and a quad grade 3 tear, but the 30-year-old paceman is now completely fit and looking forward to doing well in this year’s Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings.
Chahar, who last played for India in December 2022, featured in only 15 encounters last year. The right-arm seamer missed the entire IPL and the T20 World Cup in Australia.
"I have been working hard for the past two-three months on my fitness, I am fully fit and preparing well for the IPL," Chahar told PTI.
"I had two big injuries. One was a stress fracture and one was a quad grade 3 tear. They are both very big injuries. You are out for months. Anyone who comes back after the injury, it takes time, especially for fast bowlers.
"If I was a batter, I would be playing way back long but as a fast bowler, when you have a stress fracture, it is very tough to get back on track. You can see other bowlers struggling with the back as well."
The Rajasthan seamer recently played a Ranji Trophy game against Services last month, picking up two wickets and scoring 26 runs across two innings. However, that was the only game he played this season.
Chahar is someone who could easily fit into that No. 8 spot in the 50-over format but will need to have a successful IPL season if he even wants to come close to being part of the ODI World Cup squad.
"I have lived by one rule all my life. If I am fully bowling the way I want, if I am batting the way I want, there is no stopping me. That was the basic rule with which I started my career.
"I don't care who is playing, who is not playing, my motive is to get fully fit and perform with the ball and bat 100 percent. If I do that, I will get my chances."
Talking about the inaugural Women's Premier League, Chahar said: "IPL changed men's cricket forever, people got a lot of opportunities. The same thing will happen with the Women's Premier League.
“Women's cricket will grow very fast as they will face international players very early in their careers. It will also help a lot of women cricketers who have not been able to make money and will fuel competition.”