Tales of perseverance and passion often shape the narratives of emerging talents in cricket. The journey of Aakash Deep, born in Bihar and graduated out of Ranji Trophy for Bengal, epitomizes this very spirit, as he defied all odds to chase his dream of playing for Team India with unwavering determination.
Now we take a brief look at Aakash Deep‘s upbringing and his meteoric rise from an aspiring young cricketer to India’s Test player number 313.
Aakash Deep- A journey to dream debut for India’s test team
Aakash Deep was born in Sasaram in Bihar on December 15, 1996. While he was inspired to take up cricket as profession after Team India’s triumphant moment at the 2007 T20 World Cup, a young Akash was discouraged by his father Ramji Singh.
Ramji, who himself was a government schoolteacher, wanted his son to focus on academics and land a government job instead. On the pretext of finding a job, Aakash Deep left his hometown to join a local academy with the support of his uncle. He started gaining much recognition for his pace at the academy, however, tragedy soon befell his life when his father passed away due to a stroke.
A few months later, Aakash’s elder brother also passed away, leaving him to take care of his mother and two sisters at home. Becoming the sole breadwinner of the house halted his cricketing ambitions for three years. While Deep was reconstructing his life and providing for his family, he realized his dream of representing India was too big to abandon at this stage.
At a time when Bihar Cricket Association was facing a suspension, the prodigious bowling talent shifted to Bengal where he rented a small room with his cousin. Akash soon found a spot in Bengal’s Under-23 team, before eventually landing a Ranji Trophy debut for the state in December 2019, i.e., a few months after he made his List A and T20 debuts for them.
Aakash Deep gets debut cap for India.
The fourth match of the ongoing red-ball series between India and England began on Friday, February 23, at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. Ahead of the Test, the BCCI had announced that ace pacer and vice captain Jasprit Bumrah would be rested for the game, citing workload management reasons. As a result, young pacer Akash Deep received his maiden call-up and made his debut for the Rohit Sharma-led side.
Aakash Deep was presented his India cap before the toss by head coach Rahul Dravid, and that is when the seamer realized his dreams turned to reality. His mother was also present on the field during the moment, and both engaged in a heart-warming moment after he wore the cap. Deep was seen touching his mother’s feet and took her blessings. They both hugged each other and shared an emotional moment.
Aakash Deep nearly strikes early on debut
Winning the toss, England’s skipper Ben Stokes invited India to bowl first. Mohammed Siraj, who is leading India’s pace attack, opened the bowling, while Aakash Deep took charge from the other end.
In just the second over he bowled, the seam movement and early morning conditions helped the pacer, as he rattled the timber of Zak Crawley, as the ball went past the bat-pad gap. Deep’s excitement for his maiden wicket didn’t last long, as the siren which went off shortly suggested that the bowler had overstepped, and thus, the ball was adjudged as a no ball.
In the first 5 overs, the English batters started off quite sedately, as the ball assisted the pace duo well. However, once the ball gets older, the batters will be hoping to unleash their ‘Bazball’ style of play. Thus, it will be interesting to see if Crawley and Ben Duckett are able to see off the first session on Day 1, or whether the Indians will ensure being on top by striking with a wicket or two.
Former India player Sourav Ganguly feels that Bengal fast bowler Akash Deep is a good bowler and is the one to watch out for in the future. Sourav also mentioned that the 27-year-old has the ability to bowl quickly like Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. Akash Deep has been picked in Team India’s squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, starting on September 19 in Chennai. The right-arm speedster took nine wickets for India A against India B in the Duleep Trophy 2024 match in Bengaluru.
Sourav Ganguly praises Indian fast bowler Aakash Deep ahead of Ind vs Ban 2-match series
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly reckons that Bengal pacer Akash Deep is a genuinely talented bowler and someone to watch out for. Ganguly opined that the 27-year-old has the ability to bowl as quickly as Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami – in the high 140s (kph).
Akash Deep has been picked in the Indian squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, which begins at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 19. The right-arm pacer claimed nine wickets for India A against India B in the first round match of the 2024 Duleep Trophy at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Speaking at an event in Kolkata, Ganguly reserved high praise for Akash Deep. The former India captain said:
“Akash Deep is an outstanding young fast bowler. He runs in, bowls quick, and will bowl for long periods. He is fit, I’ve seen him play for Bengal over a long period of time, taking wickets. He will be as quick as Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami, hitting high 140s. He is one to watch out for.”
Akash Deep made his Test debut in the fourth Test against England in Ranchi in February this year. He made an immediate impact, picking up three big wickets – Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. The right-arm pacer has the experience of 32 first-class matches in which he has claimed 116 wickets at an average of 22.86, with five five-fers and one ten-wicket match haul.
While Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah have been named in the Indian squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, Shami remains unavailable as he is still recovering from his ankle surgery. Ganguly, though, asserted that India have a good bowling attack even though Shami is missing from the team.
“I know Mohammed Shami is missing because of injury, but he will be back very soon since India is going to Australia. It’s still a very good attack,” the 52-year-old former India batter commented.
Apart from Bumrah, Siraj and Akash Deep, India have also picked Yash Dayal in the squad for the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. The left-arm seamer has been handed his maiden India call-up on the basis of some impressive recent performances. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav are the spinners in the 16-member squad.