‘For me, this IPL auction wasn’t about money but joining right team’: Deepak Chahar

by Tejas Rathi
Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar thinks the IPL 2025 auction was important for prolonging his professional career. As per Chahar, it was more important for him to get into the right team rather than a huge salary.

Entering at a base price of INR 2 crores, the franchises like Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings engaged in a bidding war for Chahar. His former franchise, Chennai Super Kings also took a late interest in his acquisition, but lost to Mumbai Indians, whose final bid was INR 9.25 crores.

As a result, Chahar will now ply trade for the Mumbai-based franchise at the Wankhede Stadium. He will be joined by veteran pacers like Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult, who have also been proven performers in the cash-rich league.

Deepak Chahar will most certainly handle the new-ball duties along with Boult. With swing and seam movement on offer from the Mumbai surface, the 32-year-old could be useful in securing breakthroughs for the franchise.

In an interview with Sportstar, Chahar opined that it was critical for him to get on the right side to make a national comeback. He feels the next three-four years will be the peak of his career, and he intends to utilize them in the right direction.

“For me, this auction wasn’t about the money but about joining the right team to help me make a comeback to the Indian side,” Chahar said.

“At 32, the next four to five years are likely my peak, so I wanted a team that provides opportunities. I’m happy to move from one top franchise, Chennai Super Kings, to another, Mumbai Indians. Watching the auction, I was focused on the opportunity, not the money,” he added.

“I had a great time under MS Dhoni at CSK” – Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar with MS Dhoni

In the aforementioned interview, Deepak Chahar revealed that he enjoyed playing under MS Dhoni during his time with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Chahar’s career certainly took flight in the 2019 season, when he finished with 22 scalps and helped CSK to emerge as the runner-up.

The 43-year-old supported Chahar during his tough time and served as a mentor to him during all these years. However, frequent injury concerns put the pacer behind in the pecking order.

Here’s what Chahar said about Dhoni:

“Mahi bhai doesn’t talk much over the phone, but I’ll definitely meet him soon. I had a great time under him at CSK, and even though we’ll be on opposite sides now, I’ll catch up with him before the season begins.”

The right-arm pacer took a total of 76 wickets in as many games for CSK at an economy rate of 7.91, with best figures of 4/13.

FAQs

When did Deepak Chahar made his international debut?

2018

How many international wickets does Deepak Chahar have?

47

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