CSK: Injured Chahar out for extended period; Stokes out for a week

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Deepak Chahar, who sustained a hamstring injury during his team’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match against Mumbai Indians, is likely to be sidelined for an extended period. On Saturday night, the 30-year-old Chahar bowled five balls in his opening over at the Wankhede Stadium before he felt discomfort in his leg. After a brief consultation with the team physio, the pacer strolled in to bowl the last ball of the over before leaving the field and taking no further part in the game. “…Chennai Super Kings swing bowler faces an extended period on the sidelines after picking up a suspected hamstring injury…,” a Cricbuzz report said. Meanwhile, the MS Dhoni led franchise has issued a statement on Chahar’s injury, saying that the pacer will undergo scans. “Chahar will undergo scans to identify the extent of the injury once the team returns to Chennai. The Chennai Super Kings medical staff are closely monitoring both the players and will provide all support necessary for their recovery,” the CSK said in a statement. Notably, Chahar, who was signed by the four-time champions for INR 14 crores, missed the entire 2022 season and a significant portion of the cricketing calendar due to a back injury. He incidentally sustained the back injury while rehabilitating from a right quadricep injury picked up on India duty in February last year. The report further said that CSK are also likely to be without their other star player Ben Stokes at least for a week due to a minor toe injury. The toe injury forced Stokes to miss the match against Mumbai Indians and he is unlikely to feature in the home game against Rajasthan Royals (April 12) with a possibility of a return in the away fixture against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 17. The star all-rounder played Chennai Super Kings’ first two matches of IPL 2023 before injuring his toe during training ahead of the third game, which the Super Kings won by seven wickets