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Asia Cup 2022 | Balaji says Deepak Chahar should have been first-choice pacer


image-l76qpjl9Deepak Chahar in action for India

India’s Asia Cup 2022 squad does not feature senior speedsters Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Rising stars Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan have been given the rope instead alongside veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the line-up.

Lakshmipathy Balaji wanted Deepak Chahar to lead India’s Asia Cup attack

Former Indian fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji recently stated that Deepak Chahar should have been India’s first-choice pacer for the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 event. Instead, Chahar has been selected as one of the standbys for the tournament, alongside the likes of Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer.

During an interview with News18, CSK bowling coach Balaji claimed that Chahar has the ability to take early wickets and he should have been the selectors’ first-choice in the absence of Shami and Bumrah. He said:

“In the UAE, where the new ball skills are needed to make early inroads into the opposition batting, what you want is wickets upfront with the new ball. If Chahar gives you those early wickets, you have to look at him as a first-choice. But, there are a lot of bowlers and there is a lot of competition. You want wicket-taking bowlers with the new ball. If Bumrah and Shami are not available, Chahar is the one who provides that”.

Notably, the CSK cricketer fared well for India in their recent ODI series in Zimbabwe. The 30-year-old claimed five wickets in two Zimbabwe ODIs, and also won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his 3-27 in the opening match of the series.

Asia Cup 2022 updates: India’s road ahead

Team India will begin their Asia Cup title-defence with a match against arch-rivals Pakistan on August 28 in Dubai. The tournament serves as a testing ground for all sides ahead of the much-awaited T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.


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