"My father comes first," Deepak Chahar reveals why he opted out of South Africa T20I tour

Deepak Chahar pulled out of India squad for South Africa T20Is last month.

In a testament to the unwavering bond between family and career, Indian seamer Deepak Chahar recently made a personal sacrifice by opting out of the South Africa T20I tour to prioritize his father’s health. After a challenging period that saw his father suffer a brain stroke, Chahar is now focused on making a strong comeback and is eyeing for a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad.

Deepak Chahar’s absence from India’s tour of South Africa 2023-24 and the subsequent T20Is against Afghanistan was driven by a heartfelt commitment to be with his ailing father. Chahar even missed the T20I series against Australia at home in November 2023.

Deepak Chahar looking for a comeback in Indian team

Deepak Chahar emphasized the difficulty of being away from his father during the challenging times, stating,“For me, my father comes first. I am here only because of him. Whatever I have achieved is because of my father. If I am not there for him in those situations, then obviously, what kind of son I am?” Chahar told PTI.

“If the series was in India, then I would have surely tried to play. You can come to the hospital if you need within 4-5 hours. But obviously, [from] South Africa it takes 2-3 days to come back. It was an easy decision to be with my father. Any son would do that,” he added.

During the 25 days spent in the hospital, Deepak Chahar’s training routine was limited to exercises due to the circumstances. However, his determination led him to the National Cricket Academy (NCA), where he worked on regaining his fitness and readiness for the upcoming IPL and the ICC T20 World Cup.

He acknowledged, “I was with my father in the hospital for 25 days. He was admitted in Aligarh. We all had to stay there,” he said. I was only able to do some exercises. I was not able to do any cricketing activities. That’s why I was not ready for the Afghanistan series. I had not practised for a month or so. After that I went to the NCA. I started my practice again and now I am fully fit. Everything is good. I trained really hard for the IPL and the World Cup.”

Deepak Chahar’s motivation to secure his spot in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad stems from the disappointment of missing the last two editions due to injuries. He highlighted his versatility as a bowler who can contribute with the bat, making him a valuable asset to the team.

He said, “I have missed two [T20] World Cups because of my injuries, If I was fully fit, I would have been a part of the World Cup team as well. In any scenario or any team combination, there is always a requirement for a bowler who can bat at Nos. 7, 8, 9. I have done that and scored runs for the Indian team.”

Deepak Chahar also credited MS Dhoni for playing a pivotal role in his career and giving it longevity. Describing Dhoni as an elder brother, he expressed gratitude for the opportunities provided by the CSK captain, emphasizing the positive impact Dhoni has had on his cricketing journey.

He added, “It took me two-three years to get comfortable around him, I would say because of him only I got a chance to play for India because before that, he gave me a really big chance to play all the 14 games in IPL. In 2018, I played all the 14 games.”

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