IPL 2020: 3 players who can replace injured pacer Deepak Chahar at CSK

India’s latest bowling sensation Deepak Chahar has suffered a huge injury setback that is set to keep him out of the game for quite some time. Chahar has been one of the most exciting finds in the ongoing home season for the Indian cricket team. Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were on the sidelines, courtesy which Chahar got an opportunity to play and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He came into the limelight in the Nagpur T20I against Bangladesh last month when he picked up 6 wickets for just 7 runs that also included a hat-trick. These figures are the best for a men's bowler in T20I cricket.

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The news of Chahar's back injury was revealed by Indian team's chief selector MSK Prasad on Monday. It could cost him a place in the Indian team as other bowlers could now capitalise to cement a spot in the team for next year’s T20 World Cup. Chahar will not only miss the upcoming series against Sri Lanka and Australia but also the tour of New Zealand where India are scheduled to play as many as five T20Is.

Deepak Chahar is also an integral part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set-up in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has led CSK's bowling for the past 2 years. If he doesn't recover in time, it would be a huge blow to the 3-time champions as Prasad told a leading Indian media daily that Chahar is expected to be out till April 2020. Let's have a look at three players who could replace Deepak Chahar in the IPL.

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IPL 2020: Who can replace Deepak Chahar at CSK?

1. Rahul Shukla

Shukla is a first-class cricketer who plays for Dhoni's state team Jharkhand. The right-arm medium pacer has experience of playing in the IPL as he was a part of the Mumbai Indians set-up from 2010-12. In 2013, Rajasthan Royals picked him up. In a game between Rajasthan Royals and Otago Volts in CLT20 in 2013, he was named the Man of the match for taking 3 wickets. In the 2018–19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he took his first 5-wicket haul in a T20 match.

2. Shams Mulani

Mulani is a first-class cricketer who plays for Mumbai in the domestic circuit. He is a batting all-rounder, who bowls slow left-arm orthodox. He has 20 wickets to his name from 22 T20 games at an impressive average of 23.25 and an economy of 6.28. In December 2019, in the opening round of the 2019–20 Ranji Trophy, he went on to claim his first 5-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

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3. Praveen Dubey

Dubey plays for Karnataka in the domestic circuit. He is an all-rounder who bowls leg-spin. He was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹35 lakh at the 2016 IPL player auction. In February 2017, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore team for the 2017 Indian Premier League for ₹10 lakh. Considering the Chepauk wicket, Dubey could be an ideal replacement to Chahar as he can chip in with the bat as well.

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