India’s starting XI for the first ODI against South Africa did not include Deepak Chahar. Chahar was possibly India’s best bowler in the T20I series against the Proteas before.
Deepak Chahar, one of the best new ball bowlers in white-ball cricket right now, has developed into a key member of the Men in Blue’s team over the past several years. Chahar was not selected for the Indian team for the opening ODI against South Africa on Thursday despite being highly regarded in the Indian cricket community for his ability to swing the ball both ways.
Many supporters were perplexed by Chahar’s omission because they had been counting on the seamer to captain India’s bowlers in the first ODI matchup in Lucknow against the Proteas. India had to field some less-experienced players in the lineup because senior players like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were not there.
In the fast bowling unit, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan, and Shardul Thakur were preferred, while Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav received the nod as spinners. Siraj, Avesh, Shardul, and Deepak are comparable to one another in terms of experience, but Chahar stands out from the competition thanks to his ball-swinging skills.
Chahar would have been a strong candidate to take wickets early in the match because of the cloudy weather in Lucknow on that particular day. Even on Twitter, other admirers made the same observation. These tweets are examples:
Think about Deepak Chahar losing against Avesh Khan. pic.twitter.com/a2ITNjUtGr
October 6, 2022 — Vansh (@vanshtweetz)
6 batters
Four of them are openers, but Deepak Chahar is still not in the starting XI despite the cloudy weather.
T20WC2022 @BCCI @deepak chahar9 #deepakchahar #bcci
— Manthan Mehta on October 6, 2022 (@Manthan211003)
Very disappointed that Deepak Chahar isn’t in the starting XI
They might have rested him in the second ODI, I know they want to keep him healthy.
Deepak Chahar is essential when it’s cloudy outside.
on October 6, 2022, Cricket Fan (@sangwancricket)
Other supporters had the opinion that Siraj’s absence from the team for the opening ODI was likely due to his cautious preparation for the T20 World Cup 2022, where he might potentially step in for the injured Jasprit Bumrah in India’s 15-man roster. Chahar is already one of the guys on standby.
Because Deepak Chahar is expected to be announced as Bumrah’s replacement and may be traveling to Australia, he is unable to participate.
IND v SA – Deepak Chahar image via Twitter, 1QKyZEXfsy
@Arnav Tweetz7, Arnav six October 2022
Chahar brings more than simply high-caliber swing bowling to the table. The 29-year-old has good bat skills as well. Chahar actually has lifetime averages of 60 and 53 in ODIs and T20Is, respectively, while also striking at respectable rates of 101.69 and 203.85.
