Picking up guitar lessons besides helping dad in the kitchen

Top athletes talk to HT about their experience of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. This is Deepak Chahar, the India right-arm pace bowler who, instead of plying his trade for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, is currently enjoying an extended recovery break at home in Agra.

I take everything positively. This is a time when we can either learn some new skills or sharpen the old ones. I look at it that way. If you think too much about this lockdown and feel that you can’t do a lot, you will never be able to do anything. I would never get an opportunity to be with my family because of all the travelling over the last couple of years. I have managed to get that family time now.

Deepak Chahar. (Twitter)

I was at home about two months ago as well but on complete bed rest (with a lower back injury). I would be in pain even while lying on the bed. At least now I am able to do something—move, workout and get better in shape.

We get weekly or fortnightly schedule from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on how and how much to workout. We are in touch with the physiotherapist and trainers. I am doing whatever I can. I work out with the gym equipment—which I managed to get before the lockdown—for an hour or hour and a half every day. I do all the exercises that I usually would—boxing, core, everything else. So there is not much of a loss there. As cricketers, we don’t need machines (to train). We largely do free weights, single leg or single arm. I have a variety of dumbbells and free weights up to 100kg. I also run up and down the staircase of my apartment for 25-30 minutes daily, but I am careful about not touching the railing.

Apart from the guitar lessons, I help my dad in the kitchen. I know some cooking from before. I made vegetable pulao the other day; it tasted good! I also spend some time playing PUBG.

(As told to Khurram Habib)