'Fully fit and preparing well for IPL 2023' - Deepak Chahar on his comeback from twin injury setbacks

Deepak Chahar has been out of action with twin injury setbacks since last year. Having been undergoing rehab since then, he has declared that he has regained complete fitness and is preparing well to mark his return during IPL 2023.

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After struggling with two "big" injuries last year, Indian pacer Deepak Chahar says he is fully fit and set to return with the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), beginning March 31. The 30-year-old injury-prone fast bowler had a tough time recovering from a stress fracture and, more recently, a quad-grade 3-tear. He last played for India in the second One-Day International (ODI) in Bangladesh, where he broke down after bowling three overs.

In 2022, Chahar could only feature in 15 contests for India and was also ruled out of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia due to injury. Having done extensive rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, Chahar is preparing for the IPL. He will represent the former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

"I have been working hard for two or three months on my fitness. I am fully fit and preparing well for the IPL. I had two extensive injuries. One was a stress fracture, and one was a quad-grade 3-tear. They are both massive injuries. You are out for months," Chahar told PTI.

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"Anyone returning after the injury takes time, especially fast bowlers. If I were a batter, I would be playing way back long, but as a fast bowler, it is very tough to get back on track when you have a stress fracture. You can see other bowlers struggling with the back as well," added Chahar.

The Rajasthan pacer returned to competitive cricket with a First-Class (FC) fixture versus Services last month, but that was his only appearance in Ranji Trophy. Multiple injuries have pushed him down in the pecking order, but he hopes to be part of the Indian team for the ICC World Cup at home later this year.

"I have lived by one rule all my life. If I am fully bowling the way I want and 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 or who is not playing. I aim to get fully fit and perform with the ball and bat 100 per cent. If I do that, I will get my chances," said Chahar, who has also proved his value with the bat in his international career that began in 2018.

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Since making his India debut in July 2018, he has played in 13 ODIs and 24 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). The inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) will precede the men's IPL, and Chahar could not be more excited for his female counterparts. "IPL changed men's cricket forever. People got a lot of opportunities. The same thing will happen with the Women's Premier League," Chahar imagined.

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"Women's cricket will increase as they face international players 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," concluded Chahar. Formula E arranged the interaction following the inaugural race in Hyderabad on February 11. Chahar was among the cricketers who attended the race alongside Sachin Tendulkar, Shikhar Dhawan and Yuzvendra Chahal.

(With inputs from PTI)