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

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

Deepak Chahar is set to don the Mumbai Indians colours in the next Indian Premier League edition, marking the end of his seven-year stint with Chennai Super Kings. Although he will miss the Chepauk dressing room and conversations with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Chahar is excited to bowl alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult at the Wankhede Stadium.

Chahar’s ultimate goal is to return to the Indian team. He has bowled at full throttle in the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. “The more I bowl, the better I will get,” he says in an interview with  Sportstar.

I’m looking forward to playing for Mumbai Indians. Certain things are not in our hands, so my focus is on playing the entire domestic season, featuring in the IPL, and returning to the Indian team. Mumbai is a great place for me as Wankhede Stadium suits my bowling style, with swing and seam movement on offer. I aim to perform consistently, stay fit, and ultimately return to the national fold. Everyone dreams of donning the Indian colours, and I hope to achieve that by giving my best.

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.

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.

The price tag doesn’t matter. My goal has always been to win games, whether I was signed for less or for Rs 14 crore by CSK in 2022.

When you play for a team for a long time, they understand your strengths and weaknesses, but when you shift to a new team, it’s basically starting from scratch. I aim to perform from the outset and enjoy being part of this champion side. The team is well-sorted, and I look forward to contributing.

T20 is a batter’s game, but as a bowler, the focus is on claiming wickets and containing runs. Keeping the run rate under control — below 30 runs in four overs — is a decent performance.

I take one game at a time and stay calm, which helps me execute my plans better. The pressure is often more on batters to achieve big strike rates, so I focus on doing my job efficiently. It’s always a challenge to keep the strike rate revolving around 150 to 180. That’s how I look at it.

Fitness has been my only concern, not performance. I’ve always delivered with bat and ball for India whenever I’ve played (16 wickets in 13 ODIs and 31 wickets in 25 T20Is; 203 runs in nine ODI innings with the bat and 53 runs in seven T20I innings). Now that I have played all the league games of the Ranji Trophy so far and am also playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Rajasthan this season, I am finding my rhythm.

I don’t worry much about competition. The skill set I bring — swing bowling with the new ball and batting at No. 8 — isn’t very common. If I remain fit and consistent, I’m confident of earning another opportunity with the national team.

After IPL, I trained in the UK with a top football club for 12 weeks, focusing on improving my lower-body strength, which has been a concern in the past.

The training helped me prepare for the Ranji Trophy while also focusing on bowling consistently. The experience was invaluable in regaining rhythm and readiness for switching formats during the season.

Sport is about mental toughness and bouncing back from setbacks. I’ve had injuries throughout my career, but I’ve followed the process and returned every time.

Instead of overthinking injuries, I stay calm and focus on what’s in my control. Staying mentally strong has been key to handling failures and comebacks.

My family has been my biggest support, especially my father, who is also my coach. I talk to him regularly and discuss every aspect of my game.

Rajasthan has taught me a lot. I’ve dealt with injuries and challenges over my 14-year career, learning about the game and its political undertones, which is part of every cricketer’s journey.

Playing with legends like Mahi (Dhoni) bhai, [Virat] Kohli, and Rohit has been invaluable. Their experience inspires and motivates teammates to bring out their best.

(Smiles) 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.