2 months ago
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For those well versed with cricket, especially Indian cricket, Akash Deep is not an unknown quantity. The pacer has already played two seasons of IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), but nothing can match a maiden call-up to Team India. Akash Deep has been picked for last three Tests against England as replacement for Avesh Khan.
The 27-year-old fast bowler from Bengal will now be sharing the dressing room with stars like Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin and also destiny’s child Yashasvi Jaiswal. While Jaiswal’s story of rags to riches is as incredible as it can get, Akash Deep has also travelled through an equally incredible route to reach the door of Team India.
Born in Dehri in Rotas district of Bihar, Akash Deep played cricket not to become a cricketer but to stay happy.
“In Bihar (suspended by BCCI in those days), there was no platform and especially from the place where I came from, Sasaram, playing cricket was a crime. Kitne parents jo aapne bacchon se kahte the Akash se duur raho, woh padhai nahi karta hai aur usko sangat mein bigaad jaogey (Lot of parents would warn their children that don’t mingle with Akash as he only plays cricket and your studies would go for toss),” Akash told news agency PTI in an interview.
“But you know, I don’t blame them. What would you have achieved playing cricket in a place like ours? You would waste time and not even become a cricketer and also ignore academics. Your future would be ruined and they were worried. So, were my parents,” he added.
His father, Ramji Singh, who was a teacher in a government school wanted Akash Deep to also get a government job, but it wasn’t also something that the Sasaram resident wanted
“Appear for Bihar Police constable’s exams or at least try for state government’s class IV staff (peon), my father used to say. He would fill up those government job application forms and I would go for exams and come back submitting blank forms.
“In my mind, while cricket was my passion, I just wanted to be happy and never thought about making it a career.”
The thinking, however, changed once tragedy or rather tragedies struck his family. His father and elder brother passed way in a gap of six months. His elder brother had two young school going daughters.
“Six months mein papa aur bhaiyya ka dehant ho gaya. Mere paas khoney ke liye kuch thaa nahi. Motivation yeh thaa ki aab kuch karna hai kyon ki family ki zimmedari leni hai (I had nothing to lose but needed to take responsibility).”
This was the start of Akash Deep’s cricketing career. With nothing to play for in Bihar, the cricketer moved to West Bengal’s Duragpur with the help of a friend to play for a club. During his time playing red-ball cricket in Durgapur, Akash Deep took part in tennis ball matches to make a living.
“I would play proper leather ball matches for my club but initially there was no money. So there would be three to four days a month, I would play tennis ball matches around district and earned Rs 6000 per day. So I would earn 20,000 per month, which helped me run my expenses,” said Akash.
The tennis ball cricket and moving to Durgapur also had its big impact on his career as it opened up gates to first division cricket in Kolkata, then Bengal U-23 and First-Class cricket. Once into a formal setup, the self-taught Akash Deep started picking up the tricks of the trade from former cricketers.
“I never had any fixed coach. Saurasish Lahiri (current Bengal assistant coach), Arun Lal sir, Rano sir (Ranadeb Bose), all have helped me from time to time, and whatever I could learn, I have learnt,” he said.
Akash Deep debuted for Bengal in 2019 and has taken 103 wickets in 29 matches. He recently took 11 wickets in two unofficial Tests against England Lions.
Now getting ready for the big stage, Akash Deep knows he will need more than just skills to excel.
“Inswing is my stock delivery but at this level, you need to have outswing and reverse swing and more importantly need to control the swing. I was in (India) ODI squad in South Africa and realised more than skill, at this level, it is more about mental strength of being able to execute plans under pressure,” he said.
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