The Shubman Gill nullifier: What makes Deepak Chahar MS Dhoni’s favorite

Deepak Chahar was born to swing the cricket ball, believes his childhood coach Navendu Tyagi. Chahar’s nickname, ‘Cherry’ which he picked up in high quality debut is turning into.

Watching him bowl in his youngsters, Tyagi would sometimes shock “if he’s getting the ball to move around so much now, just how good would he be once his body has fully developed.” Such was his capability set that father, Lokendra Singh opted to surrender his Air Force job to accompany his son 24×7 alongside together with his teaching.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Tyagi elucidates on the why of it: “He has complete control of his wrist action and release position. Those who swing the ball best master their action in the early days. The fingers are in hold of the ball perfectly, your wrist is right behind it, the ball seam travels right where you want the ball to swing, it’s not easy to learn these things let alone master them. His flow and sequence are picture perfect as well.”

Deepak Chahar 🤝 Wickets in Powerplay 🕺

A #Yellove story for the ages! 💯#GTvCSK #TATAIPL #Qualifier1 #IPLonJioCinema | @ChennaiIPL @deepak_chahar9 pic.twitter.com/Ethh2nnjZu

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 23, 2023

There’s additional to Deepak the bowler though. Has to be. Conditions at his IPL dwelling ground at Chepauk present little help to maneuver the ball as so much as he’d have to. In comes the slower bouncer and the knuckle ball. The one which even the 2023 Shubman Gill couldn’t determine as he fell all through Chennai Super Kings’ 15-run win over Gujarat Titans earlier this week.

In Deepak’s second over all through Qualifier 1, MS Dhoni would stand as a lot because the stumps for Shubman Gill, with the sector restrictions on. Staying deep rooted in his crease, Gill would determine an angling-in provide for a six over prolonged leg. With his captain falling once more to his abnormal place behind the stumps, Deepak decided to go for a deep sq. leg and a deep mid wicket topic. A topic he’d comply with for the first ball of his ultimate over, with 5 fielders allowed open air the circle. The slower, fast provide was pitched in and Gill miscued it straight to Conway at deep sq. leg. MS Dhoni would clap his gloves from behind.

“If you look at all of Gill’s videos, he needs momentum for his boundaries. He likes to step out to play those shots. The reason for pulling the keeper up was to not allow him to do so. There was a little bit of help in the wicket, the ball wasn’t coming on to the bat easily. So I decided to go in with the ball that’ll allow him to play his shot and keep the fielder there,” Deepak instructed the broadcasters put up match. To use the ability as a result of the weak level; a job that’s less complicated said than carried out.

Chennai: Chennai Super Kings bowler Deepak Chahar celebrates with teammate MS Dhoni the wicket of Gujarat Titans batter Wriddhiman Saha by means of the IPL 2023 first qualifier cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (PTI Photo/R Senthil Kumar)(PTI05_23_2023_000356B)

“Bilkul hi taabe nahi aati (No one is able to read it),” says Tyagi on his pupil’s specific provide. “I tell him, ‘Deepak yaar, it’s not easy to hone the knuckle ball.’ The way you almost instantaneously pull the fingers inside, it’s a joke! The way you then bang it on the surface, you have mastered doing so’.”

The key to every good knuckle ball or slower provide is how successfully the bowler can cowl it from the batter adopted by the execution itself that requires a near good grip. “You have to work your own knuckle ball out. Everyone bowls it differently. The same is the case with a slower one. Your muscle memory holds onto the one that your body and your action sequence are most comfortable with,” Tyagi explains sooner than spitting the arduous actuality. “You have to bowl some 100 deliveries a day for years to be able to bowl that one ball in big moments.”

It was a level engrained in Deepak’s head since his early cricket days. His father would arrange an online inside the army chaavni in Suratgarh, the place {{the teenager}} would bowl 200-300 to type up his arsenal. “His background to become a player was deeper than others, reflective in his discipline,” says Tyagi recalling the occasions from the aughts. “To come from Suratgarh, stay in a Dharamshala in Hanumangarh…it used to be scorching 48-50 degrees and there was just the one fan where he stayed.”

Father’s foresight

Tyagi vividly remembers the first time Lokendra Singh Chahar shared with him that he meant to surrender his job. “I’d try and convince him, ‘Dekhlo bhaisahab…’. He’d cut me short, ‘No sir, this is confirmed. If Deepak plays for India, I’d have to leave my job.”

Chahar Sr. would accompany his son in a 56-57 km journey from Suratgarh to Hanumangarh for his teaching.

While his enchancment as a swing bowler happened with the purple ball in his hand, Deepak’s father seen it important that he sharpened his batting skills as successfully. “Players can only progress through the IPL” he’d emphasize in his conversations with Tyagi.

Chennai: Chennai Super Kings bowler Deepak Chahar celebrates with teammates the wicket of Gujarat Titans batter Shubman Gill by means of the IPL 2023 first qualifier cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (PTI Photo/R Senthil Kumar)(PTI05_23_2023_000392B)

Deepak’s alternative inside the Rajasthan U19 workforce equipped him a risk to play the ODI match for the state. “His father used to write on boxes to note the ball’s age. 8 overs old, 10 overs all and so on,” Tyagi shares.

Captain’s favorite, a captain himself

“CSK se itna khele hai ki CSK mai rum gaye hai (He’s gelled into the CSK mentality after playing with them for so long),” says Tyagi with a chuckle, as he talked up that slower one to dismiss Gill.

Since his first IPL season with the Rising Pune Supergiants to now being considered one of many 4 players CSK retained for the persevering with public sale cycle, Deepak has cherished participating in beneath the Dhoni-Fleming captain-coach duo.

Double trouble!

Deepak Chahar’s lethal skills shine by and weave trouble for @DelhiCapitals 🎯#EveryGameMatters #IPLonJioCinema #DCvCSK #TATAIPL #IPL2023 #Yellove | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/Ot7OTqb1mU

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 20, 2023

“He has always said, ‘There’s a lot of freedom to work here’,” Tyagi shares. “Whatever your strengths are, you get to work on them only. Because if a franchise asks you to change per their needs, it’s only going to affect your rhythm in tournament cricket. They (CSK) are quite intelligent that way.”

There are a great deal of widespread notes Tyagi believes his star pupil shares alongside together with his franchise skipper. “All these years he hasn’t changed at all. He doesn’t like staying up till late. Is not big on parties. And keeps away from his phone. Just like his captain. That’s why he is his favorite. Automatically, like-people attract each other.”