Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar are two of the leading bowlers in the race to replace Jasprit Bumrah for the T20 World Cup down-under. Bumrah, when available, will always be the leader of the Indian pace attack, at least in the white-ball format.
He bowls at the death, and he bowls in the Powerplay. The vacuum created by his absence won't be easy to fill. Let's look at the numbers of Shami and Chahar in the shortest format of the game to find out who among these two can really fill in the void.
Mohammed Shami vs Deepak Chahar - Powerplay Numbers
Shami has delivered 1248 balls in the Powerplay and has conceded 1589 runs at an economy of 7.63. In comparison, Chahar has delivered 1303 balls and has given away 1657 runs at the exact economy rate of 7.63.
But, Chahar is way ahead in the wickets column. . While Chahar has taken 54 wickets in 85 matches. Shami, on the other hand, has 34 wickets in 102 innings against his name. If we talk about Boundary balls, Shami has given away 211 boundaries in and 40 sixes in 102 innings. Chahar has conceded 221 fours and 41 sixes in 85 innings.
Also Read: KL Rahul and Intent: In-depth analysis of his T20 numbers before T20 World Cup 2022
Mohammed Shami vs Deepak Chahar - Death Overs
Deepak Chahar isn't really a death bowler. As opposed to 85 innings, when he bowled in the Powerplay, he has only been handed the bowl 35 times during the death overs. He bowls at an economy of 8.83 in the death overs and has scalped 22 wickets.
Shami, on the other hand, has way more experience in the death overs. He has bowled during the last four overs 77 times and has scalped 61 wickets. His economy though is on the higher side - at 10.71. This can be really crucial in knockout and big matches.
The Bottom Line
Choosing either of the two won't give India a complete bowler. Deepak Chahar also has the batting ability which may tilt the scales in his favour. Although Shami is the senior pro and has been there through all of it. His experience, pace, seam and swing can prove to be lethal on Australian pitches.
It will be interesting to see who the management goes ahead with. Experience and pace vs all-round ability. The equation will come down to this.
