IPL 2022: CSK pacer Deepak Chahar ruled out of entire tournament; four potential replacements of him

Mumbai, April 15: Chennai Super Kings are not going to get the services of their star fast-bowling all-rounder Deepak Chahar in the ongoing IPL 2022. Chahar has been ruled out of the fifteenth edition of the domestic T20 tournament owing to a back injury.

"Chennai Super Kings bowler Deepak Chahar has been ruled out of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 owing to a back injury," an official IPL release claimed on Friday (April 15).

Chahar - who was rebought by the Chennai-based franchise for a whopping sum of Rs 14 crore during the IPL 2022 mega auction - suffered a back injury during the limited-overs series against West Indies. The Rajasthan cricketer, who has had an injury-prone career, suffered an injury in his back during the 3rd T20I against West Indies in Kolkata in February.

The right-arm quick had been recovering from the injury at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru but hasn't yet regained his fitness. Earlier it was being said that Deepak will be able to join his IPL franchise by mid-April and might even feature in the defending champions' marquee clash against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians, scheduled on April 21.

With Chahar being ruled out of the entire tournament, Ravindra Jadeja-led CSK might look for his replacement with an aim to strengthen their bowling attack. Here we take a look at some players who could be the right-arm quick's replacement:

Ishant Sharma

The right-arm senior India pacer found no takers during the IPL 2022 mega auction but he could be a good option for CSK to include in the squad as Deepak Chahar's replacement.

Ishant - who had set his base price at Rs 1 crore for the auction - might be a good bet for the franchise for he has a lot of experience.

He has played 93 IPL games and picked up 73 wickets in the tournament. His career economy (8.09) isn't that bad for a pacer and might come in handy for the team.

With MS Dhoni behind the stumps, under whom Ishant has played a lot of international cricket, the Delhi cricketer could prove to be a good option.

Mohit Sharma

Mohit Sharma, who was the IPL 2014 Purple Cap-winner, was roped in as net bowler by Gujarat Titans alongside left-arm seamer Barinder Sran for IPL 2022. The right-arm quick from Haryana - who has played for CSK and emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the 2014 season - picked up 23 wickets and averaged 19.65 in 15 games.

As he is already part of the IPL bubble, he could directly enter the CSK bubble. Given his history with the franchise in the past and his knack for mixing the balls well, Mohit could be a replacement for Deepak Chahar. And who knows, the speedster might just reinvent or rejuvenate himself after reuniting with his erstwhile franchise.

Sandeep Warrier

Good performance from his state, helped the Kerala pacer earn him an IPL call-up. He was the standout bowler for Kerala in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy season claiming 44 wickets from 10 matches.

He played a key role in Kerala's maiden entry into the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy. The right-handed pacer was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2019 for a base price of Rs 20 lakh.

In his debut IPL season, he picked up just two wickets in three games. He played one game each in IPL 2020 and 2021 seasons for KKR but remained wicketless.

Warrier, who went unsold at IPL 2022 mega auction, could prove to be a fine purchase for the side and who knows he might flourish under the guidance of CSK bowling coach L Balaji.

Dhawal Kulkarni

The senior right-arm pacer from Mumbai is an IPL veteran. Dhawal - who set his base price at Rs 75 lakh - didn't find any takers at the IPL 2022 mega auction. The Mumbaikar is currently working as an expert on the Star Sports panel for the ongoing tournament.

Kulkarni - who has plied his trade for Rajasthan Royals, and Mumbai Indians in the past - has played 92 matches in the IPL and picked up 86 wickets.