Akash Deep: A Mohammed Rafi fan who once called cricket ‘ameeron ka khel,’ is now India’s hero

NEW DELHI: Akash Deep loves singing aged songs. His favourite is Mohammed Rafi’s “Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya,” a opus helium would perceive to connected loop during his struggling days successful Sasaram, Jamshedpur, New Delhi, Durgapur and Kolkata - each places helium went successful pursuit of his cricketing dream.“Kabhi kuch dhuen mein nahi udaya (He ne'er lit a cigarette),” says Vaibhav Kumar, Akash Deep’s puerility friend.“He recovered solace successful this song. There is simply a enactment ‘jo mil gaya usi ko muqaddar samajh liya’ (Whatever I got, I considered that arsenic my fate), it was his favourite. He has gone done a batch since a precise aboriginal age. I don’t cognize precisely erstwhile helium recovered Mohammed Rafi oregon the large Rafi Saab recovered him, but the songs helped him,” Kumar tells TimesofIndia.com from Sasaram, wherever helium heads Akash Deep’s academy.

On Monday morning, Vaibhav forwarded a reel to Akash Deep, wherever a Brummie extracurricular the Edgbaston stadium was singing a opus successful his name. Akash mildly replied, “Ab humare naam pe gaana likha ja raha guru” (Now a opus is being written successful my name), disclosed Vaibhav with a laugh.If Rafi’s opus helped Akash Deep combat the obstacles successful his life, the random opus from an Englishman astatine Edgbaston is simply a testament that the thoroughfare volition ne'er hide what the 28-year-old did successful the 2nd Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Akash’s 10-wicket haul breached England's fortress and gave India a caller hero.

Before going to England, Akash Deep had told TimesofIndia.com however playing for India inactive feels similar a imagination and wherefore helium erstwhile successful a portion asks his parent to pinch him. “I ne'er dreamt of playing cricket with a leather ball, hide playing Test cricket. Ye registaan mein paani dhoondne waali baat thi (It was similar looking for h2o successful a desert). Every lucifer I play, I instrumentality it arsenic an opportunity.

I americium surviving a imagination and I privation to enactment determination for a while,” helium had said.But earlier adjacent chasing this dream, helium had astir quit. In 2016, helium moved to Delhi, wherever his elder sister, who is present recuperating from liver crab successful Lucknow, utilized to live. He got himself enrolled successful Madan Lal’s cricket academy. A week later, helium called Vaibhav and said: “Yaar cricket ameeron ka khel hai, kahaan se humare jaison ka kuch hoga” (Cricket is simply a affluent man's game, I don’t deliberation I volition beryllium capable to bash anything).Before that, Akash Deep had tasted the brutal quality of the crippled successful his colony successful Sasaram, Kolkata’s maidan successful 2012, and successful Jamshedpur, wherever helium saw erstwhile India pacer Varun Aaron bowling rockets and thought helium could vessel arsenic speedy arsenic him.

“My begetter was posted successful Durgapur and I utilized to play cricket there. I asked him if you are readying to discontinue cricket, what would you do? What is your Plan B?” shared Vaibhav.Vaibhav knew his person had nary Plan B, but was near amazed erstwhile Akash Deep said: 'I volition larn motortruck driving.'“When I coaxed him that to bargain a motortruck you request wealth arsenic well, helium angrily said: ‘Sone nadi mein ret bahut hai, bhookhe nahi marenge’ (There is truthful overmuch soil successful River Sone, I volition not dice hungry).”This was Akash Deep’s vexation talking. His mother’s pension was not capable to support the household afloat.

Upon Vaibhav’s insistence, Akash Deep came to Durgapur, stayed determination for a period and past the 2 friends took a bid to Kolkata to springiness 1 much changeable astatine cricket.

“He had played successful Kolkata before, erstwhile helium utilized to spell determination for his father’s regular check-up. Even then, helium had played cricket successful the maidans of Kolkata for Rs 200 to 300. But this clip we had a plan. I got enrolled successful Videocon Cricket Academy, wherever United Club utilized to train. I told the manager that determination is simply a accelerated bowler I know, who volition triumph you matches. After a batch of to-and-fro and respective trials, they gave Akash a chance,” recollected Vaibhav.“The woody was helium would play arsenic a nonrecreational and would not get immoderate money. Back past successful Kolkata, each squad utilized to tract 3 nonrecreational cricketers from extracurricular of Kolkata and they had to wage wealth to play. In that season, Akash bagged 45 wickets and past helium ne'er looked back,” said Vaibhav.In Kolkata, erstwhile India cricketer and past Bengal manager Arun Lal saw him bowling successful 1 of the league matches. His nip-pacer impressed Lal and wrong weeks, Akash was playing for Bengal U-23 and soon, entered the dressing country of the elder team.

“I was hopeless to get him successful the team. I picked him up of Ashok Dinda, a first-class legend. I received truthful overmuch scrutiny for it. But the lad had truthful overmuch hunar (talent). He was vibrant, the in-swingers were truthful lethal - you tin inquire Harry Brook, the mode helium got him out,” reminisced Lal.Akash Deep, who had a breakthrough 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season, claiming 35 wickets successful 9 games, did truthful nether Arun Lal.“The lad had gone done truthful overmuch that self-belief was lacking successful him.

He was successful a conflict with himself. He is idiosyncratic who needs an limb astir his shoulder. I told him successful jest 1 time that 'do you adjacent cognize however bully you are?' He laughed and said: ‘Sir Ranji khel liye bahut hai’ (I person played Ranji and that is enough). I blasted him for 45 minutes, and helium was successful tears, until Manoj (Tiwari) pulled maine aside,” said Lal.The world cheque by Arun Lal gave Akash Deep a goal.“I had told him that you are truthful bully that you volition beryllium sold to immoderate IPL squad for Rs 10 crores and if you support moving hard, you volition triumph Test matches for India,” said the 69-year-old.

On Sunday, some his prophecies came true. At the 2025 IPL auction, helium was acquired by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for Rs 8 crore. And connected Sunday, astatine Edgbaston, helium played a cardinal relation successful India levelling the five-match Test bid vs England.But for Akash, helium inactive has a batch to execute some connected and disconnected the field.“First and foremost Jyoti Di’s recovery. Good acquisition for his precocious brother’s daughter, the eldest 1 has cracked the aesculapian exam and is pursuing an MBA. We tally a cricket academy successful Sasaram, and we had a imagination that from our academy precise soon a miss oregon a lad volition correspond India,” said Vaibhav.For now, Akash Deep has a Test bid to win, galore dreams to fulfill and Mohammed Rafi’s songs to usher him done each the topsy-turvy thrust of zindagi (life).