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Cricket Players‘Can’t play 4 matches on the trot... permanent NCA resident': Shastri lambasts Chahar's 'ridiculous' fitness
Shastri launched a scathing attack on Chahar, who has had an ill-dated tryst with injuries in the last 18 months.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been hit with a huge injury blow in IPL 2023. Although starting the season without Kyle Jamieson and Mukesh Choudhary, both of whom have been ruled out of the entire season, the huge blow was dealt when Deepak Chahar limped off the field last week during their match against Mumbai Indians with a hamstring injury. And although MS Dhoni's captaincy choices helped CSK escape Chahar's absence, former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that the team needs to find a replacement soon. He then launched a scathing attack on Chahar, who has had an ill-dated tryst with injuries in the last 18 months.
In February 2022, Chahar had incurred a similar and while his rehabilitation, he suffered a back injury which ruled him out of entire IPL season and sidelined him for four more months. He then returned in the ODI series against Zimbabwe and was picked as a reserve for the T20 World Cup as well. But he was ruled out with a stiff back. In December, he joined the Indian squad in Bangladesh for the ODIs and after bowling just three overs in a match, he walked off the field clutching his hamstring and only returned until IPL 2023.
Although the extent of his injury is yet to be made official by CSK with Chahar having already completed his scans, Shastri, when asked about Chahar in particular and other Indian players who have suffered from same injuries repeatedly despite being declared fit by the NCA, lashed out at the lot, mocking that they have become “permanent residents of the NCA”.
The veteran all-rounder added that repeated injuries of players who have barely been involved in all-format cricket has been utterly frustrating for the entire team management, whether the Indian team or the IPL franchise.
“Let us put it in this way, there are quite a few players who have become permanent residents of the NCA. Soon they will get a residence permit there, to walk in any time they want. And it is not a good thing. It's unreal. I mean you are not playing that much cricket to be injured again and again. You can't even play four matches on the trot. Then why are you going to NCA for? I mean you come back and after three matches you are back there.
"So make sure you return fit and come back once and for all. It's damn frustrating not just for the team but also for the players, BCCI and the captains of the various franchises. It's annoying to say the least. I can understand a serious injury. But if after every four game someone touches the hamstring or his groin you start thinking what is actually going on. And some of them don't play any other cricket. I mean it's just four overs and in three hours the game is over. It's ridiculous,” he said.
