'He always says ‘you are my powerplay bowler'' - Deepak Chahar credits MS Dhoni for his IPL bounceback

India and Chennai Super Kings bowler Deepak Chahar was lavish in praise for his CSK skipper MS Dhoni about his resurgence in the 14^th edition of the Indian Premier League. Over the years, Dhoni has often guided a lot of youngsters in the Indian teams the likes of Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal. The 39-year-old is always spot on with his observations and suggestions which have helped the players to perform well for several years.

Chahar is one of the key players for Dhoni in the CSK. His wickets upfront in the powerplay always give the team an upper hand. After a dismal IPL 2020 in UAE, the right-arm bowler bounced back in style in 2021 by picking regular wickets in the powerplay and changing games with his deceptive swing bowling. Chahar’s best spell this season was undoubtedly the one against Punjab Kings, where he picked four wickets in the first six overs to keep Kings below 130.

“It was a long-cherished dream of mine to play under Mahi bhai. I have learnt a lot under his captaincy. I have taken my game to another level under his guidance. He has always backed me. He taught me how to take responsibility. There is no one in my team (CSK) who bowls three overs in the powerplay. I do that. That’s because of Mahi bhai. Bowling the first over for a team is not an easy job. With time, I have improved and learnt how to control the flow of runs, especially in T20s,” Chahar told TimesofIndia.com.

Chahar on Dhoni’s influence and guidance in the team

In the seven matches, this season Chahar picked 10 wickets and the majority of them came in the powerplay, a role Dhoni has used for the most since 2018.

“Mahi bhai has made me a powerplay bowler. He always says ‘you are my powerplay bowler’. He, most of the time gives me the first over of the match. I have been scolded by him a lot (laughs), but I know those talks and that guidance has benefitted me a lot as well and helped me grow as a bowler. He (Dhoni) knows his players well and he uses them wisely. He knows who is good at the death, who is good in the powerplay and who is good in the middle overs,” he revealed.