It was a night when everything changed for Deepak Chahar, when he ditched the new ball, took control of the middle phase and delivered for his team. It was a night when everything seemed to come together and the journey, which did not have the best possible start was all worth it.
And now, it should be mentioned here that back in 2008, he was rejected by Greg Chappell, who at that time was at the helm of Rajasthan Cricket Association as the Australian believed that the young pacer did not have it in him to play competitive cricket. Perhaps, this rejection changed Deepak for the better and his journey began.
He made his debut for Rajasthan at the age of 18 and showed why Chappell was wrong as he claimed 8 wickets for 10 runs on his debut. He was part of the side which won back to back Ranji Trophy titles and thus, the world started to take note.
Best figures by a bowler in T20I cricket
And then, he slowly established himself as a solid performer with the red ball, but then got his IPL break in 2016 (Chennai Super Kings), playing his only ODI so far in 2018. And now, Deepak has the best figures ever by a bowler in T20I cricket, he is the first Indian bowler to claim a hat-trick in T20I. 6 wickets for 7 runs in 4 overs - these numbers are mind-boggling, and yet, it is all because of the hours and hours of hard work which have gone into making him as a bowler.
"Rohit was planning to give me the crucial overs and the management wanted to do the same," Chahar said after the game. "I never thought of this, not even in my dreams. I have been trying to work hard since my childhood and my efforts have paid off."
Bangladesh were going good in their chase with a wet ball as the dew was coming down in Nagpur and hence, this performance was even more impressive and this was pointed out by the skipper Rohit Sharma after the match.
"It was the bowlers who won us the game," Rohit said at the post-match presentation. "I know how tough it was given the dew. But this must be one of the best comebacks in this format for India. It was easy for them at one stage, with 70 needed in eight overs. But the boys showed characters, took up the responsibility., Good to see young players putting their hands up."
