Rahul Chahar could be added to India’s squad for T20Is against England: Reports

Young leg-spinner Rahul Chahar is reportedly set to be added to India’s T20I squad for the five-match T20I series against England. The move is likely to be made due to fitness concerns surrounding Rahul Tewatia and Varun Chakravarthy.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, Tewatia, like Chakravarthy before him, failed the first fitness test conducted at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore last month.

The report added that Tewatia is in quarantine in Ahmedabad with the T20I squad. Meanwhile, Chakravarthy has been instructed to work on his fitness at the NCA.

Rahul Chahar was among the standby players during the Test series against England. He also took part in the training session on Monday.

The 21-year-old’s chances of making it to the T20I side are strong since the other standby players from the Test series, K.S. Bharat, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Priyank Panchal were released for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Preparations on in full swing in Ahmedabad ahead of the @Paytm T20I series against England 💪#TeamIndia #INDvENG @GCAMotera pic.twitter.com/6Ij70gwe3i

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 9, 2021

Rahul Chahar: A bright, young talent

Rahul Chahar made his T20I debut for India against West Indies in Guyana back in August 2019.

He did a reasonable job, getting the wicket of West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite while conceding 27 runs in his three overs. However, he hasn’t played for India since.

Rahul Chahar represents Mumbai Indians in the IPL. The youngster has been doing a decent job for the defending champions, who are also the tournament’s most successful franchise.

The leg-spinner claimed 15 wickets in as many games in the 2020 edition, getting his wickets at a strike rate of 21.20. In IPL 2019, he claimed 13 scalps in an equal number of matches at a strike rate of 21.69.

Apart from his ability to pick up key wickets, Rahul Chahar is making his name as a bold spinner who is not afraid to bowl during the powerplay.

💬 "As a coach, I am extremely proud of what the boys have done."@RaviShastriOfc on his journey & learning as #TeamIndia's Head Coach 👌👌@Paytm #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/8SOfmThBh4

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 7, 2021

Rahul Chahar has played 55 matches so far in his T20 career and has 65 scalps to his name with a best of 5 for 14.

The five-match T20I series between India and England gets underway in Ahmedabad on March 12.