From Playing Cricket in Secret to Dazzling in India Test Whites, Akash Deep Continues to Polish His Reputation

Akash Deep continues to polish his reputation. The right-arm pacer is making a strong case for a regular spot in India’s Test squad following sparkling performances in his limited opportunities. On Friday, he rocked Bangladesh top-order with successive stunning deliveries as he first uprooted the middle stump of Zakir Hasan and then the off stump of Mominul Haque.

The 27-year-old made his India debut earlier this year in the Ranchi Test against England and he made an immediate impact in a fiery opening spell with three wickets in the space of eight deliveries knocking over Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley to dent a quick start.

The Early Years

Hailing from Sasaram (Bihar), Akash faced resistance from family and society in general to stop playing cricket as a kid. His peers were focused on studies as back, cricket wasn’t considered a career option for a stable future. His father wanted him to prepare for competitive exams to crack a government job.

“In Bihar…playing cricket was a crime. I used to play cricket secretly,” recalled Akash in an interview while adding parents of other children didn’t want them to mingle with him since he only played cricket, and he might distract them from their studies.

Tragedy Forces Akash to Abandon Cricket

Akash’s resolve was tested when his father and elder brother died within the space of six months, and he left cricket just when people began noticing him for his pace bowling. He didn’t return to cricket for three years.

The Comeback

Despite staying away from cricket for a significant time, the love for sport continued and he soon moved to Kolkata where he started playing in the Cricket Association of Bengal’s (CAB) Second Division League. He was mentored by Bengal stalwarts Ranadeb Bose and Saurasish Lahiri before making his Ranji Trophy debut in 2019. He would end the season with 35 wickets at an average of 18.02 as Bengal made it to the final.

The IPL Contract And India Call-up

Akash also began leaving impact in white-ball cricket which helped him land an IPL contract with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2021. After another successful Ranji season in 2023, he was called-up in India A squad for South Africa A tour, played against England Lions and then went on to make a memorable Test debut in Ranchi.