"Hopefully, he gets there halfway through the season" - Brad Hogg admits CSK desperately missing Deepak Chahar in IPL 2022

Former Aussie wrist spinner Brad Hogg has opined that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dearly need Deepak Chahar in their ranks for early wickets.

Bought in the mega auction by the Super Kings for ₹14 crore, Chahar is yet to recover from a quadriceps injury he sustained during the white-ball series against the West Indies. It remains unclear when the bowling all-rounder will return to action.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Hogg observed that the Super Kings are missing Chahar's swing and the ability to dent the opposition in the powerplay overs. The 51-year old stated that the overseas quicks have also struggled and there is an absence of a leg-spinner who can be a genuine wicket-taker.

"The bowling of CSK, there's a big hole there," he said. "Deepak Chahar might not play the whole season. Hopefully, he gets there halfway through the season because they need him - that swing, the way he picks up wickets with the swing bowling in the powerplay overs. It takes a lot of pressure off the other bowlers, especially the spinners in those middle overs."

He continued:

"The overseas quicks aren't firing and they don't have too much depth in their pace bowling which is a problem. Let's talk about spin. They don't have a genuine wicket-taking option, such as a leg-spinner in their squad. They need that wicket-taking ability."

Notably, the defending champions' highest wicket-taker so far this season has been Dwayne Bravo. The West Indian has bagged six scalps in four games at 19.33. Kiwi pacer Adam Milne reportedly picked up a niggle in the opening fixture against the Kolkata Knight Riders and hasn't played since.

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"He's going to have his struggles in Mumbai" - Brad Hogg on Ravindra Jadeja

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The West Australian also pointed out that CSK skipper Ravindra Jadeja's left-arm spin doesn't appear to be as much of a threat on Mumbai's wickets as it would have been in Chennai. However, Hogg expects the all-rounder to thrive late in the tournament.

"Jadeja is very good on wickets like Chennai where he can hold up and get that extra turn with those undercutters where the ball holds in the wicket," he explained. "But up there in Mumbai, he's going to have his struggles. He will still be able to keep it tight but may not generate the turn he does in Chennai. But in the backend, he might come into effect with the wear and tear of the wickets in Mumbai."

The CSK skipper has struggled with both the bat and the ball in IPL 2022, taking one wicket and scoring 66 runs in four matches. He will have to raise his level if the defending champions are to stay alive in the competition.