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From Losing Father To Making His India Debut; The Journey Of Bengal Pacer, Akash Deep

image-lsybyedaAkash Deep with his family in Ranchi celebrating his Test debut (BCCI)

Tales of perseverance and passion often shape the narratives of emerging talents in cricket. The journey of Akash 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.

Here at OneCricket, we take a brief look at his upbringing and his meteoric rise from an aspiring young cricketer to India’s Test player number 313.

Who is Akash Deep?

Akash 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, Akash 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, Akash’s elder brother also passed away, leaving him to take care of his mother and two sisters at home.

Watch the video of his debut cap presentation -


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.

Akash Deep debut

On February 23, 2024; Akash Deep realized his lifelong dream as he received his maiden Test cap for Team India, in front of his overjoyed family. Showing no first-game jitters, the cricketer repaid the selectors faith by making instant impact, as he struck thrice within his opening spell itself. The Bengal pacer got rid off Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley in quick successions.