Cricket in India has few tales finer than that of Akash Deep, born in that unassuming little town of Dehri, Bihar, where this young fast bowler carved out a pathway from obscurity into international cricket. Marked by personal tragedy and the unyielding will to succeed, his story is an inspiration to the aspirational talents across the country. About Akashdeep Singh Attribute Details Full Name Akash Deep Singh Born December 15, 1996 Age 27 years (as of 2024) Birthplace Dehri, Sasaram, Bihar, India Height 6’ 01” (185 cm) Batting Style Right-handed Bowling Style Right-arm fast-medium Role Bowling All-rounder Teams Bengal, Royal Challengers Bangalore, India Early Life and Background Image Source: crictoday Akash Deep Singh was born on 15 December 1996. That means, as of 2024, he has just entered his prime at the age of 27. He stands at a tall 6 feet 01 inches (185 cm).Akash Deep cuts an impressive figure on the cricket field and his right-arm fast-medium deliveries instill fear in the hearts of the batsmen. The journey of Akash started not in a very glamorous place at Dehri(Rohtas), Bihar. His father, Ramji Singh, was actually the first support system he had-he was a school teacher. Ladduma Devi, his homemaker mother, was handed the responsibility of showering all the warmth to help young Akash have big dreams. But death knocked at the door early into his life when, in 2015, his father Ramji Singh died of a paralytic stroke. Within months, his brother too met his end. Such personal losses could have made way for his failures to derail his ambitions, but rather, they fueled his determination to succeed. Also Read | Shubman Gill Biography: Family, Career, Records, IPL - All Details The Road to Cricket Image Source: crictoday Akash's love affair with cricket began in 2007, when he watched India lift the inaugural T20 World Cup. It was a defining moment, one that heralded the passion which would define his future. But coming from a region bereft of cricketing infrastructure did not make the road to professional cricket easier. In 2010, Akash shifted base to Durgapur, West Bengal, where he was at a cricket academy. Family commitments called back home pretty soon though. It was only after a visit to Kolkata in 2012, during the time when his father needed further medical treatment, that Akash's cricketing career really gained momentum. An initial batsman, he moulded himself into being a fast bowler as well and worked on his skills while raising his pace. Struggling and Perseveration Image Source: crictoday Akash's tribulation led him to success. After the death of his father and brother, Akash moved to Delhi in 2016 and lived with his elder sister. During his club cricket days, he shared a 12x12 small room with four persons, but was not in a good financial position. It so happened that he met Indian pacer Mohammed Shami. Shami advised him to focus on the mindset for the international level and physical conditioning for the game. That gave him what he needed to develop. CAB, under then former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly's Vision 2020 program, contributed also to his development-the training to become a proficient fast bowler. Professional Career Image Source: Espn Akash's toil started yielding dividends in 2019 as he made his maiden appearance for Bengal in all formats of domestic cricket. His performances that very year in the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy announced him as a player to watch. The IPL beckoned for Akash in 2021 when he was picked as a net bowler by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He performed exceedingly well, which earned him a spot in the RCB team for the second leg of the 2021 season of IPL, held in the UAE. RCB bought him for his base price of 20 lakhs in the IPL auction of 2022, which speaks for the same. Akash made his debut for IPL on 27th March 2022 against Punjab Kings (PBKS), taking 1 wicket for 38 runs, opening his journey in the world's competitive T20 leagues. International Acceptance Image Source: The economics time And Akash was not long seen prior to being noticed. His systematic performances at the domestic cricket and IPL level were good enough to make it possible. In December 2023, he had managed to get himself included in the touring Indian ODI team against South Africa, which remains his first foray into the international level. His crowning moment came on 23 February 2024, when Akash played his first Test for the first time against England at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. This marked the fulfillment of a dream that began in the dusty fields of Bihar. Also Read | Rohit Sharma Biography: Age, Family, Career, Achievements, IPL - All Details Gameplay and Strengths Image Source: Sportskeeda Akash Deep is more of a fast-medium bowler. He has got the inswinger as his stock delivery, which can trouble the big batsmen. The thing that makes Akash stand out in any case is his versatility: He is not only an effective bowler but also is an excellent lower-order batsman, playing the long handle when required. His first-class statistics are particularly impressive, but in just 32 matches he claimed 116 wickets with an excellent average of 22.86. And he also had 8 four-wicket hauls and 5 five-wicket hauls: he just runs through batting line-ups. He has been no less effective in T20 cricket, taking 49 wickets in 42 matches at an average of 23.46 and an economy rate of 7.71. These numbers reflect how he can adjust across different formats of the game. Off the Field Image Source: TOI Beyond the ropes laid for demarcation, Akash Deep stands tall on respect for the giving back culture when he regularly visits camps within the village of Sasaram in Bihar, at the AB Cricket Academy where emerging stars are groomed. Posting on his Instagram with pride, he says that it's just wonderful to see boys and girls playing cricket side by side in these camps, showing confidence in the strength of sports to change lives. And here is Akash, also famous for his fitness schedule, with regular visits to the gym in order to keep in shape to maintain the physical fitness that fast bowling at a very high level requires. Future Agenda Image Source: Sportskeeda And on the eve of probably a promising international cricketing career, his talent at 27 stands at the threshold of an exciting path. Starting from a small town called Dehri to the Indian cricket team, this journey is a proof of what talent and perseverance combined with the power of dreams can do. This cricketing talent from small towns and villages, Akash Deep, has inspired thousands of cricket-playing young boys and girls who may have otherwise dropped their dream of playing for India and Bengal. His tale cements this rags to riches story belief that anybody can achieve his dreams with talent, hard work, and dedication. It's going to be interesting years from here as the cricketing fraternity waits with bated breath for the arrival of Akash Deep who bowls for India with millions of hopes and aspirations glued to him. Going by his journey so far, this new star in Indian cricket is all set to shine at the global level for a pretty long time. Akash Deep Career Stats Bowling Format Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10w Tests 3 5 318 185 8 3/83 3/63 23.12 3.49 39.7 0 0 0 FC 34 56 5416 2754 121 6/60 10/112 22.76 3.05 44.7 8 5 1 List A 28 28 1280 1029 42 3/6 3/6 24.50 4.82 30.4 0 0 0 T20s 42 42 894 1150 49 4/35 4/35 23.46 7.71 18.2 1 0 0 Batting and Fielding Format Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100s 50s 4s 6s Ct St Tests 3 3 0 38 17 12.66 64 59.37 0 0 4 3 0 0 FC 34 43 3 515 53* 12.87 678 75.95 0 1 36 40 14 0 List A 28 16 5 140 44 12.72 120 116.66 0 0 7 11 4 0 T20s 42 14 7 78 17 11.14 54 144.44 0 0 6 4 10 0