Deepak Chahar has been added to India’s team for the final two T20Is against Australia. Meanwhile, Mukesh Kumar was released ahead of the third game in Guwahati on Tuesday for his wedding. He will, however, be joining the squad for the final two games.
Chahar, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years, last appeared for India in an ODI in December 2022. He recently won the Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20) Trophy for Rajasthan. He took ten wickets in five games with an economy of 7.38. He scored 67 runs off 39 balls with a strike rate of 171.79.
He’s also off to a good start in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy. So far in the competition, he has scored an unbeaten 66 off 56 balls against Arunachal Pradesh and collected 6 for 41 against Gujarat.
Given that none of India’s first-choice fast bowlers are capable batsmen, Chahar’s return is welcome ahead of the T20 World Cup in June. Following the upcoming Australia series, India will play six more T20Is and the IPL before the World Cup in the West Indies and the United States.
Mukesh was impressive in both of his appearances in the series. Despite going for 54 in the first T20I in Visakhapatnam, he gave just five runs in the final over of the innings to limit Australia to 208 for 3, which India chased down with one ball to spare.
Both India and Australia rested several T20I regulars for this series, which began just four days after the ODI World Cup. India now holds a 2-0 advantage in the series.
