Era of Early Life and Background
Akash Deep is a young fast bowler emerging from the scattered water of a small village, Dehri. Born on 15 December 1996, the journey he undertook from dusty Bihar to become a professional cricketer is an epoch of tenacity, sweat, and indomitable will. Bihar is never known to have been a massive contributor to the Indian cricketing eco-system, like places in Mumbai, Karnataka, or Tamil Nadu. But, Akash Deep is a sparkling diamond in the basket of cricketing culture, where smaller states of India are bound to see growth.
When did he fall in love with the game? Akash Deep could see his passion for cricket much as any other little Indian boy would grow up dreaming of Indian cricketers and play along with friends till long hours. However, becoming a career in cricket was not a piece of cake. Akash did not have, in his village, facilities and coaches that cities like the one he moves to commonly provide. Thus, he had to be armed almost single-handedly with overcoming these odds. His village, though supportive did not have any facilities to hone his talent, making his meteoric rise into the professional arena all the more unique.
It was then, when he came to Kolkata for his studies, that Akash really thought of making a career in the game of cricket. Kolkata, home to the mythical Eden Gardens and a great cricketing culture, proved to be the perfect breeding ground for his talent. Better coaching facilities, better spending on sport’s ground, and regular games gave him the finest shape out of raw talent by drawing the attention of cricket scouts.
Domestic Cricketing Career
Akash Deep played first-class domestic cricket for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy. The competition is the highest domestic cricket in India. He first played for the team in the 2019-20 season. It hasn’t been an easy journey for Akash Deep as he hails from Bihar that does not have many opportunities to hone cricketing skills compared to a state like Bengal.
He had worked his way to making the grade in the Bengal team by putting in a lot of hard work and consistently good performances in domestic tournaments. Bengal has long been considered one of the strongest teams in domestic cricket. Some notable players like Sourav Ganguly, Wriddhiman Saha, and Manoj Tiwary have emerged from this province. Thus, Akash left his mark in this highly competitive environment as a young cricketer. His consistency of good pace along with accuracy and ball swing set him apart in the matches.
Akash Deep has been one of the most prominent strike bowlers for Bengal in the 2019-20 Ranji season. This season has got him taking 35 wickets, and thereby with the job of a support team in the Ranji Trophy, this young man is the first one of his team to achieve 50 wickets. He has been one of the most promising fast bowlers in the domestic circuit.
Bowling Style and Strengths
A right arm medium fast bowler bowling consistently within the slot of 135-140 km/h, Akash Deep adds variety since he gets extra movement off the seam in conditions that assist swing bowling and his ability to swing the ball both ways makes him particularly dangerous.
One of the biggest pluses for Akash is his temperament. Though he is still a young bowler, he has been able to prove that he could hold his nerves during crisis, which is so crucial in matches wherein it seems to hang by a thread as win-or-lose. The pressure on the batsmen is due to his authority over line and length coupled with an aggressive mind. He has mastered many deliveries – a very well-camouflaged slower ball which presents many a batsman helpless in limited-overs cricket.
Big Break in the IPL
Akash Deep is of the opinion that this chance to play in the 2021 Indian Premier League is his big break as he has been bagged by Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Indian Premier League happens to be one of those platforms where young cricketers get an opportunity to rub shoulders with the very best cricketers around the world, and Akash was no exception. And so, while playing with teammates like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Glenn Maxwell, among others, he saw the challenge and opportunity of contesting and experiencing the best in the world.
A furius regular in the RCB bowling department all through the IPL 2022. With a good proportion of senior pacers being out with injuries, he was all set to bowl through most powerplay overs and sometimes death overs as well. The task of bowling in the IPL to some of the most explosive batsmen that can play in the world is not easy but Akash bowled quite well under that kind of pressure. And it was just fantastic to see him come out early in the innings and pick up crucial wickets for the team.
Although he did not really capitalize on the last matches of the season, enough came out of it to believe that he can be a valuable asset for RCB in the long run. Akash’s IPL career is quite young yet this platform has already brought recognition and experience at a bigger level.
Prospect in near future
It does speak of perseverance, adaptability, and growth as Akash Deep’s journey tells of a man who comes from a region not traditionally known for cricketers. He has thus done the rounds to break barriers, establishing himself in the domestic circuit. However, his performances in the Ranji Trophy and IPL can easily show that he has enough potential to go much further in his career.
Looking ahead, Akash Deep has every disposition to make his mark in international cricket. Not so long back, the fast-bowling department of Indian cricket had become more competitive than ever in the last few years when many young fast bowlers would like to get a berth in the national team. But given the ability, Akash Deep looks well placed to make it into the Indian team not too far away.
For the near future, it will most likely stay within domestic cricket and the IPL for him to further shore up his skills and enhance himself in the game. This process makes young cricketers from small towns and states feel that entry into the cricketing world at its zenith is possible if one has lots of determination and puts forth much hard work.
Conclusion:
Indeed, Akash Deep’s story is an excellent study in perseverance, talent, and a pursuit of excellence entering Indian cricket. From Bihar to Bengal and playing with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, passions combined with hard work can level all journey paths to success. Akash Deep – swing the ball, maintain the pace, and calm nerves under pressure. With such qualities, this cricketer is going to be watched out for in the coming years. His journey has just begun, and Indian cricket fans are going to be hopeful about seeing many more impressive performances by this talented fast bowler from their nation.
