After seven months of Akash Deep's journey to 'ubad-khabad' he reaches the point of return

Akash Deep was out for seven months due to injury. (ANI file photo) Bengaluru: “Tea or coffee, you will brew for a long time. (Would you like tea or coffee?),” says Akash Deep as he adjusts his chair in the hotel lobby.”I haven’t played cricket for a few months now and I’m finally going to play it.(I haven’t played competitive cricket for the last seven months, now I’m going to play),” he says, grinning from ear to ear before settling into a comfortable position.Akash Deep is happy and there are several reasons. Firstly, he has been granted Right to Play (RTP) by the Center of Excellence (CoE) and is ready to return after a long injury lay-off. Second, he can’t wait to check out of the hotel in Bengaluru that has been his home for the past seven months.The 29-year-old has been included in Rishabh Pant’s 15-member Rest of India squad to take on Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Cup match starting on October 1 in Srinagar. The last time Akash Deep was in action was during the Ranji Trophy semi-final for Bengal, where they lost to eventual champions Jammu and Kashmir by six wickets. It was during this match that Akash Deep suffered a stress fracture in his lower back.“I played that match with a fever of 102. It was my challenge and I don’t think twice when it comes to playing for Bengal. The condition has given me so much. Whatever I am, it’s because of the Cricket Association Bengal (CAB). Even in the future, if I have to take a risk to give Bengal a chance to win the Ranji Trophy, I won’t think twice before taking it,” Akash said.He smiles when asked about the risk of getting promoted at the end of a season where he has played every single game for the state across formats. The layoff turned out to be longer than he would have liked as it also ruled him out of IPL 2026. Was it worth it?

Akash Deep last played a competitive match in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal against J&K. (PTI)

“Like us, we have to prove ourselves at every opportunity. (For cricketers like us, we have to prove our credentials at every opportunity). It’s easy to say, oh, I could have missed that match… The stakes were high, but it was a Ranji Trophy semi-final and we had a chance to lift the trophy. I know the injury put a hole in my wallet because I missed IPL, missed international cricket, but for me I saw an opportunity where I had a chance to do something special on a bigger stage,” he explains.The long hiatus was frustrating, but he decided to focus on the bright side, and even during the tough days, the opportunity to spend time with his family gave him happy memories. And the icing on the cake was my sister’s recovery from cancer.

Akash Deep married Akshita Raj in June in Varanasi. (Instagram)

“Spending weeks in hotel rooms is not ideal. It’s hard. But even those six months were fruitful for me. My elder sister got cured of cancer. I got married, was appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police by the Bihar government and most of all got married,” he laughs.Behind all the giggles, laughter and excitement of being back is a painful chapter in Akash’s life. He endured rejection, considered quitting cricket, lost his father and elder brother, searched for an oxygen cylinder for his mother during the Covid-19 pandemic and even learned to drive a truck to survive.Yet when he talks about the darkest phase of his life, he doesn’t remember any of those moments. His sister Akhanda Jyoti Singh’s cancer diagnosis broke him.

There were times when I thought of quitting cricket. She let me go and when she was diagnosed with cancer I was devastated

Akash Deep about his sister Akhand being diagnosed with cancer

“She was the one who made me take up cricket. There were times when I thought of quitting cricket. She let me go on and when she was diagnosed with cancer, I was devastated. I begged God, please, not her. I lost my father, my brother, what more can God take from me? What would I do with all this money and fame if I didn’t enjoy it?” he says.“Fortunately, I played for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL. Every day, after training was over, I rushed to the hospital and came back around 2:30 and on the day of the match, I went to the hospital right after the match and came back in the morning. I didn’t eat right. I trained right. I didn’t have any scar there to lose in cricket,” he adds.After the IPL, Akash Deep went to England where his heroics at Edgbaston helped India win the Test. “She was going through chemotherapy. I was all over the place again. She told me to play for her, so I dedicated my winning match to her,” he recalls.Recovery from injury

Akash Deep has been named in the squad for the Irani Trophy. (PTI)

Akash credits BCCI’s Center of Excellence (CoE) for helping him regain full match fitness. The canny sailor dismissed criticism surrounding the CoE and its injury management.“I have been here for so many months and I have never faced any problem. I was given a clear plan and recovered as per instructions from CoE. It is a world class facility. I have played cricket in other countries too but I must say that when it comes to infrastructure, CoE is way ahead,” he says.“Tell me one thing, if you damaged your liver by drinking alcohol, then the doctor is to blame? (Let me ask you something: if you have damaged your liver by drinking alcohol, is the doctor to blame?). We should have a CoE-like facility in every state of India,” he adds.

Akash Deep was appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) by the Government of Bihar in July 2026. (Instagram)

Fit again, Akash knows the journey will not be easy for him. He will have to toil again to regain his place in the Indian team. The pressure is there, but the readiness of his body and the excitement of reclaiming his place makes him feel like a kid in a candy store.“First I will have to perform well in the Irani Trophy. Then if I get selected, I have to perform well for India A. Yes, I want to come back to the Indian team and it won’t be easy. But I am ready for the turf,” he says.Over the years, Akash has gone through trials, tribulations, fame and recognition, his path as unpredictable as the path he grew up near. He describes it in his own words: “It is a path like sadak in my village.” (My path was like the road in my village, turned upside down).It hails from Sasaram, a place steeped in history where the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun in the Battle of Chaus in 1539. It was during Sher Shah Suri’s reign that the Grand Trunk Road, also known as Sher Shah Suri Road, was built. And maybe there is something to this: Akash Deep’s journey, like the GT Road that runs through India, has been rough, winding and bumpy, but it has carried him a long way.