IPL 2023 | I am fully fit and preparing well for tournament, reveals Deepak Chahar

Chennai Super Kings finished at the ninth spot in the IPL 2022 as they managed to win only four matches from 14 games. However, apart from their poor performance on the field, the team missed their key pacer Deepak Chahar which weakened the bowling department to some extent. 2022 was a year full of struggle for the Indian bowler as he missed the entire season and the T20 World Cup played last year. 

Deepak first suffered a stress fracture and then sustained a quad grade 3 tear featuring only in 15 matches in 2022 as a result. However, the pacer will now be preparing for the latest edition of the tournament and has revealed that he will make a comeback at the IPL 2023. 

“I have been working hard for the past two or three months on my fitness, I am fully fit and preparing well for the IPL. 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 the fast bowler,” he stated to PTI. 

"If I was a batter, I would be playing way back, 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."

Although, Deepak made a return to competitive cricket in a first-class match against Services last month but that turned out to be his solitary Ranji Trophy appearance. Also, with his absence, a few pacers were handed opportunities and that has pushed him down in the pecking order. Reflecting on the upcoming schedule of the Indian team, Deepak claimed that he aims to make a comeback and give his 100 percent for the national side. 

"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,” he explained. 

"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%. If I do that, I will get my chances."

CSK would want the bowler to mark his return to the competitive field by being on the list of highest wicket-takers in the IPL 2023. They will rely on him to provide wickets with the new ball as CSK will take on Gujarat Titans in the opening fixture.