File photo of Deepak Chahar with the Indian cricket team© Agence France-Presse
Senior seamer Deepak Chahar is not in contention to be selected in the playing eleven for the opening T20I between India and South Africa in Durban on Sunday as he is yet to join the squad due to personal reasons. It is understood that Shahar is currently at home because a close family member was unwell and was desperate for a break from the sport.
In fact, Chahar missed the fifth and final T20 International against Australia in Bengaluru last Sunday, as he had to return home after being told that a family member was ill.
“Deepak has not yet joined the team in Durban because a close family member needed to be hospitalized urgently. He has been given permission to take a break because he needed to take care of a family member. He may or may not join the team depending on the condition of his family member ” A senior BCCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
BCCI bosses are aware that Shahar may not be in the best frame of mind until the family member in question has fully recovered, and hence if he does not want to join the team now, he will be released.
The 31-year-old Rajasthan veteran has the best figures of 6/7 in T20 Internationals and his prolonged absence due to injury has affected the balance of the T20 team in the last two years.
However, the other two members of the T20 squad, Shubman Gill and vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja, who were vacationing abroad after the World Cup final, linked up directly with the team in Durban and attended the training sessions.
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