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'I hit 5 sixes in 10 balls. Dhoni bhai told me 'Be ready'': CSK star reveals how he caught MSD and Fleming's attention
It was back in 2016 when MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming caught the player's attention, and more than anything, it was his big-hitting abilities that stood out.
Chennai Super Kings will have some shades of new but most of the old when they turn up to play the IPL 2022. CSK, after deciding to retain MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad went into the auction with a purse of ₹45 crore and ended up acquiring 22 players. CSK were able to bring back the likes of Robin Uthappa, Dwayne Bravo and Ambati Rayudu, all three of whom have had played a major role in the franchise’s success over the last few years.
At the same time, CSK invested in a few new faces with the likes of Devon Conway coming on board, along with all-rounder Shivam Dube and Dwaine Pretorius. Having said that, CSK were responsible in buying the second costliest buy of the IPL 2022 auction, splurging ₹14 crore on Deepak Chahar. Chahar has in the past been MS Dhoni’s go-to man and it was clear that CSK did not want to tamper of the MSD-Deepak pair.
Chahar has played four seasons for CSK, featuring in 63 matches and picking up 59 wickets including two four-wicket-hauls. The first time Chahar featured for CSK was in 2018 when Dhoni would bowl him out up front. But this trust wasn’t bult overnight. Chahar recently opened up on about an incident that took place back in 2016 when he was able to impress captain Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming during a practice game.
“My journey with CSK began in 2016. I was struggling I domestic cricket. Fortunately, I got the opportunity to enter the trials. When Hrishikesh Kanitkar became Pune Super Giants’ assistant coach, he called me for the trial. I played the selection match where [Stephen] Fleming noticed me. I bowled well with the new ball and batting at 7, I scored a half-century hitting some fours and big sixes. On the second day, I got a chance to bat higher – at 4 – and again I scored 50 runs. So when Fleming selected me at Pune, I was picked as a batting all-rounder, someone who can hit the ball and bowl with the new ball,” Chahar told Sports Tak.
The manner in which Chahar caught Dhoni’s attention is the stuff of legends. As it turns out, more than Chahar’s pacer or swing, it was his ability to strike the ball long and clean is what impressed Dhoni. Chahar has clearly shown his batting prowess with two half-centuries in ODIs for India, but as it turns out, long before anyone else, it was the one and Dhoni, who had spotted the batter in Chahar.
“When we got selected, there was a camp. That is where Mahi bhai came. We were playing a practice match, so when I met Dhoni bhai, I was batting. I came at 3 and I smoked 5 sixes in 10 balls – was unbeaten on 30. I got injured while taking a run, and when I walked out, I met Mahi bhai for the first time. He saw that I can hit sixes and can swing the new ball,” added Chahar.
“That season I could only play a few games because I got injured. But in the next season, he told me ‘Be ready. Practice a lot. We are going to pick you for CSK next season. You will play all matches. He said this to me in 2017 and in 2018 when he picked me, he told me ‘You will play all matches. We believe in you. We trust you. Just do what you have been doing.”
